Baghdad - Romanian president Traian Basescu arrived on Thursday in Baghdad in an unannounced visit to take part in the withdrawal ceremony for Romanian troops from Iraq.

Romanian forces were to start withdrawing from southern Nassiriya on Thursday.

In August 2003, Romania sent over 5,200 servicemen to Iraq as part of the US-led coalition, of which only 600 soldiers remain in the country to provide intelligence support, Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

Nassiriya, the capital city of Thi-Qar province, lies 380 kilometres south of Baghdad. (dpa)