The defense ministers of Slovakia and Poland met Friday to discuss a series of issues, including the situation in Iraq, where both countries have troops. Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski is on an official visit to Slovakia, which has 105 soldiers in Iraq serving under Polish command. Poland leads a force of about 6,000 international troops _ including some 2,400 Poles in central Iraq. In December, the Polish government said it would cut its current troop level from 2400 to 1700 in February as part of long-standing plans to reduce its presence in Iraq. Szmajdzinski said the decrease of their troops in Iraq will not have a negative effect on security of soldiers from other countries in their division.
