( CNN ) -- The small Baltic nation of Estonia is ending its nearly six-year military operation in Iraq by not replacing its platoon of 34 troops . Estonian soldiers on patrol near Baghdad in 2004 . Estonia 's Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said the country will not deploy its next infantry platoon to Iraq , according to a statement from the ministry . Platoon ESTPLA-18 was ready to replace the previous 34-man platoon which returned to Estonia from Iraq in late December , The Baltic Times reported . The Estonian defense ministry announced Thursday it had failed to reach an agreement with Iraq 's government about the troops ' legal status . Aaviksoo said the absence of a legal agreement `` specifying the legal status of our soldiers '' was one of three reasons Estonia ended its military operation in Iraq . He said the other two reasons were the improving security situation in Iraq and the Iraqi government 's desire to `` continue bilateral cooperation in forms other than battle units . '' A bilateral agreement spelling out future defense-related cooperation between Iraq and Estonia is still being hammered out , Aaviksoo said . Estonia will continue to participate in a NATO-led training mission in Iraq , with three staff officers , he said . The Estonian defense ministry said Aaviksoo will soon visit Iraq to formally terminate the Estonian Defense Forces ' operation and discuss future defense-related cooperation with his Iraqi counterpart , Abdul Al-Qadir Jassam . In late December , Iraq 's Presidency Council approved a resolution allowing non-U.S. troops to remain in the country after a U.N. mandate expired at the end of 2008 . The resolution authorized Iraq to negotiate bilateral agreements with the countries , including Estonia . If that resolution had not been approved by the end of the year , those countries would have been in Iraq illegally . The United States concluded a separate agreement in November with the Iraqi government authorizing the continued presence of its troops . U.S. combat forces plan to pull back from population centers in Iraq by July 2009 and to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011 . The British government says its forces will complete their mission of training Iraqi troops by May 31 , 2009 , and withdraw from the country by July 31 , 2009 . Britain has 4,100 troops in Iraq , the second-largest contingent after the United States with 142,500 . Australian troops also plan to be out of the country by the end of July .
UK not replacing its platoon in Estonia . Previous 34-strong platoon left Iraq in the end of July . Defense minister blames lack of new legal agreement on status of troops . Australia , Estonia also expect their troops to be out by December .