Germany prepares to withdraw troops from Bosnia: FT

London, Mar 2: Germany is preparing to follow Britain in deciding to withdraw its troops from Bosnia, the Financial Times reported today, citing an EU diplomat.

''The decisions for force transition are still in progress. But the Germans are on the way out,'' the unnamed diplomat said.

The move, if confirmed, would come after London announced yesterday it would pull out its more than 600 remaining soldiers from the Balkan state as security concerns ease.

British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said the planned withdrawal followed a European Union decision to cut its 6,000 strong peacekeeping force in Bosnia to 2,500 in June.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said this week EU officials were much more relaxed about security. They have said they ultimately want to convert the military presence into a civilian force for lighter police-style tasks.

Germany, which has 850 troops in Bosnia, has defended the EU decision to begin winding down its peace mission but is cautious about the timing of a complete pull-out.

Berlin, for its part, has not yet made a formal statement on the future of its Bosnia deployment, the FT said.

Reuters>