"The first conference on economic reconstruction of Iraq will take place very soon with the participation of only three countries invited (by the United States) Britain, Australia and Poland," Miller told Polish public television.

This meeting will take place "at an appropriate level" in a country "other than the United States" Miller said, declining to go into the date and venue of the meeting.

The United States, Britain, Australia and Poland are the four main coalition partners in the war on Iraq. Poland has sent around 200 troops to the region, of whom around 50 are part of an elite special forces unit serving in Iraq itself.

Poland's economy and employment ministry on Tuesday asked Polish companies interested in playing a part in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq to put their names forward.

Several Polish construction companies worked in Iraq on motorways and other infrastruture projects before the 1991 Gulf War, but their activities were subsequently frozen.

Poland also represented US interests in Baghdad until that section of its embassy was closed down in early February as war in Iraq loomed.

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