New British defence minister makes first visit to Baghdad

Baghdad: British Defence Secretary John Hutton met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki in his first official visit to Iraq on Sunday.

The newly appointed Hutton served as the former business secretary Prime Minister Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle on October 3.

Britain is in talks with Baghdad to allow its 4,000 troops to stay on after a UN Security Council mandate expires at the end of the year.