The German government will ask parliament this month for approval to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan at the end of the year, excerpts of the proposal obtained by Reuters showed on Saturday.
The disclosure came during a trip to Pakistan by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who lauded Islamabad's role in combating militancy and underlined a need for closer cooperation between the nuclear-armed state and Afghanistan.
The pullout proposal, drafted by foreign and defense ministry officials, is set to be agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet next week before it is sent to the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, for approval on January 28. The measure is likely to pass easily, with opposition backing.
For more: Germany to set end-2011 start date for Afghan pullout | Top News | Reuters
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