WASHINGTON, May 19: US President George Bush plans to lay out a strategy next week for transferring sovereignty to Iraqis in a bid to stem eroding support at home and abroad for his Iraq policies, officials said on Wednesday.

Mr Bush has provided his cabinet with details of his plan to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government on June 30. "A lot of progress has been made already toward that transfer," he said.

Mr Bush said he expected decisions to be made in the next two weeks on who will become the new Iraqi prime minister and president and assume the two positions of deputy president.

In a public address next week, Bush will lay out in more detail the course for the next six weeks - the time that remains before the scheduled transfer, an administration official said.

Bush is increasingly confident of winning support for a new UN resolution that would recognize the interim government, even though details about its makeup and authority have yet to be settled.

Bush acknowledged on Wednesday: "I told my cabinet, 'We've got hard work to do.'" Bush is trying to counter growing concerns - inside and outside his administration - that the occupation is failing and that he has no strategy to improve the situation.

At G8 talks last week, the foreign ministers of major industrialized countries challenged the United States to transfer real power to Baghdad in the hand over. France said Washington must give up control over local forces and Italy said a new government must have a say over American troop tactics. -Reuters