Budapest, Oct 21, SPA -- The interim Iraqi government hasasked Hungary to keep its troops there for about anotheryear, a Hungarian government spokeswoman said Thursday. In a letter to Hungary sent about three weeks ago, Iraqthanked the country for its contributions so far and askedfor an extension of the troops' mission by about a year"to help Iraq's stabilization process," governmentspokeswoman Boglar Laszlo told The Associated Press. Hungary has a transportation contingent of 300 troops inIraq, stationed in Hillah, south of Baghdad. Parliamentlast year authorized the mission until Dec. 31. One Hungarian soldier has died in Iraq, killed when aroadside bomb exploded by the water-carrying convoy he wasguarding.--SPA1328 Local Time 1028 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/212401