Visiting the 157-strong contingent at a US military camp near Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, Baramidze said a battalion of 300 soldiers would be deployed in October when the current batch is due to return home.

The new deployment plan was still short of the 550 troops initially pledged by Tblisi four months ago.

"We are strong allies of the United States and we want to become a really strong partner. We are seeking NATO membership so we want to prove that we are there," he told AFP.

"It is really a necessity to fight against terrorism ... Georgia is much closer to Iraq than other European countries and the United States so we do care about the situation," he said.

During a 30-minute meeting with US officers, Baramidze thanked the US military for providing Georgian soldiers with uniforms, food, body armour, transport and ammunition.

"We have many brave people, but not many resources ... In these circumstances we are only able to send what is most dear to us, live soldiers," he told US Colonel Dana Pittard.

Earlier, Baramidze held talks in Baghdad with the multinational force commander in Iraq, General George Casey, but said a scheduled meeting at the Iraqi defence ministry had been cancelled because his flight was delayed.

He is due to leave Tuesday after spending the night with Georgian soldiers and accompanying them on patrol in the restive area around Baquba.

Three Georgian soldiers have been wounded in Iraq since they were deployed in April 2004. Besides the 157 soldiers stationed near Baquba, two are based in Baghdad.

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