SANTO DOMINGO - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the United Nations will gradually withdraw its troops from Haiti, local media reported.

The UN chief made the remarks when meeting with visiting Haitian President Michel Martelly at the UN headquarters in New York.

Ban told the Haitian leader that the withdrawal must be conducted in cooperation with his government, the reports said, citing Martin Nesirky, Ban's spokesman.

According to the UN plan, the number of UN police in Haiti will be reduced from some 2,000 troops to 450 as the first step of withdrawal from the country.

The meeting between Ban and Martelly came after five Uruguayan marines, who serve as UN peacekeepers in Haiti, were jailed earlier in the day after being indicted for sexual assault of a young Haitian man.

The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was established on June 1, 2004, under a UN Security Council resolution.