Leader of the ruling Uri Party Shin Ki-nam says South Korea's decision to send additional troops to Iraq is aimed at making clear its strong commitment to its alliance with the United States.

Shin made the remarks in Washington Tuesday at a meeting jointly organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Economic Institute.

Shin added that despite the diverse opinions in South Korea on the troop dispatch plan, the Uri Party's basic stance of endorsing the plan remains unchanged.

On South Korea-U.S. relations, Shin stressed that the participatory government of President Roh Moo-hyun would develop the current bilateral ties into a stronger and more mutually beneficial relationship.

Shin also expressed hope that Washington's plan to reconfigure its troop presence in South Korea would be carried out in close consultation with Seoul. He said that, in the course of the reconfiguration, Seoul hopes the U.S. will take into account the unique security situation of the Korean Peninsula so that deterrence against war would not be undermined.