Powell urges coalition partners to stay in Iraq

"There is a brighter future ahead for the Iraqi people only if the coalition stays together," Powell told the state-run Hungarian television station MTV after he arrived in Budapest at the start of a tour of six European and Middle Eastern countries.

Hungary is one of about 30 countries which contributed troops to the US-led force in Iraq after last year's invasion and has only about 300 soldiers there, out of a total of around 150,000.

But five countries have already pulled out of the coalition, and the United States is worried that continuing armed resistance to its military presence and a recent spate of kidnappings of foreigners, some of whom have been brutally murdered, will encourage others to follow suit.

Powell said that when he meets Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs here Tuesday that "I will convey our appreciation, our thanks and the thanks of the Iraqi people for Hungarian steadfastness, willingness to stay in the presence of continued danger.

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He stressed that "Hungary is a free and democratic country" and said "its parliament will make its own decision" whether to renew the mandate of the Hungarian contingent when it expires at the end of the year.

But, he said, "I hope they will at that time take a look at the progress that is being made and come to an informed judgment".

Kovacs said on Thursday that the Hungarian contingent might be withdrawn before the end of the year if Iraq returns to stability.

Hungarian troops are based at Hilla, 100km south of Baghdad under Polish command.

Defence Minister Ferenc Juhasz has said that a decision on the mission would have to be made by parliament, where a two-thirds majority would be needed.