VILNIUS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Lithuania is planning to pull its 53 troops out of Iraq following British and Danish troop withdrawal decisions, the defence minister said on Wednesday.

Britain said earlier it would withdraw almost a quarter of its troops from Iraq in the coming months. Denmark, whose soldiers serve under British command, said its ground troops would also leave. The Lithuanians in turn serve under Danish leadership.

"We are planning to pull out the troops because the British and the Danish are doing so," Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas told Reuters. He said the troops would stay at least until August, when the Danes are planning to leave.

Olekas said Lithuania planned to send more troops to Afghanistan.

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