The announcement of results in Iraq's general election boosts the chances of a "significant" withdrawal of British troops, the country's ambassador to Baghdad said yesterday.
William Patey told BBC radio that London's stance had always been that a "significant draw-down" of military personnel would happen this year given the appropriate circumstances and the agreement of the Iraqi government.
"That is still in prospect. One of the first priorities for us with the new government ought to be to agree the conditions under which... security responsibility would be increasingly transferred to the Iraqis with a diminishing role for the coalition," he said.
"If we were to have a conclusive government, representing all the communities and determined to move Iraq forward, there is no reason why the conditions should not be such that significant draw-down can be achieved."
Britain, which was part of the US-led coalition to oust former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in 2003, has about 8,000 troops stationed in the four southern Iraq states.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on a visit to Iraq earlier this month it was hoped the withdrawal would start in "a matter of months" given the right conditions.
Shiite religious parties surged to a widely predicted victory in the December 15 nationwide poll for the first permanent parliament since Saddam was removed from power.
The victors now have to find partners to form a government after failing to secure an overall majority, according to uncertified results released Friday.
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