US Secretary of State Powe ll has resigned and the White House is due to make announcement about this matter on Monday, government officials said.

Powell resigns as Secretary of State

"The Secretary announced to his staff this morning that he had submitted his resignation on Friday," said a State Department official, adding that Powell would stay on "until such a time as a replacement is named."

Powell, 67, becomes the latest high-level member of President George W. Bush's cabinet to announce plans to leave following the election.

Powell was often seen representing more moderate views on foreign policy in the Bush administration.

Following the report of the resignation of Powell, the White House said that it will announce the resignations of three other members of US President George W. Bush's Cabinet on Monday.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Venneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham have all submitted their resignations, a senior administration official says.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that the officials would not necessarily be leaving immediately and that their replacements would not be announced on Monday.

Powell is expected to go about his usual schedule, a senior administration said. Powell was scheduled to meet later Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and was to attend a meeting of Asian officials in Chile Wednesday and a multinational conference on Iraq next week.

White House praises Powell's "outstanding job"

US White House on Monday spoke highly of resigning Secretary of State Colin Powell and three other cabinet members describing them as "very distinguished individuals".

"Secretary Powell is doing an outstanding job over at the State Department. He has helped us accomplish many great things to make the world stronger and safer, and we appreciate his service," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told a news briefing.

"He will continue to work in that capacity, I expect, until his replacement is confirmed by the Senate," McClellan said.

Powell is expected to go about his usual schedule, a senior administration said earlier. Powell was scheduled to meet later Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and was to attend a meeting of Asian officials in Chile Wednesday and a multinational conference on Iraq next week.

McClellan declined to say if Powell's resignation is accepted by President George W. Bush, saying "Powell made a decision for his own reasons that this was now the time to leave."

McClellan also praised three other cabinet members - Agriculture Secretary Ann Venneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham - for their "service and leadership".

"The president greatly appreciates their service and leadership, and he looks forward to continuing to work with them as they work to continue their jobs until their replacements are confirmed by the Senate," the spokesman said.

Powell pledges to continue his work until successor confirmed

Resigning US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday that he will go on "working hard" before he has a successor.

"I expect to act fully as secretary of state until I do leave," Powell said. "I will be working hard until the very, very end," Powell told a news conference.

Powell, 67, submitted his letter of resignation to President George W. Bush on Friday. He told the news conference that "it had always been my intention to serve one term."

Speaking of American diplomacy, Powell said that the war on terror remains on the top priority which is followed by consolidating the new democracy in Afghanistan and stabilizing Iraq after the US-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein last year.

"We had some difficulties with some nations in Europe last year over Iraq, and we are getting rid of those differences and coming together again, as evidenced by the fact NATO is now undertaking a mission in support of the Iraqi people," he said.

Powell also stressed to beef up efforts to restart the Middle East peace process after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and to solve nuclear issues in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran.

The White House confirmed Powell's resignation, but declined to say whom Bush was considering as a replacement. Scott McClellan, spokesman of the White House, said Powell would stay on until his successor was in place.

Powell was often seen representing more moderate views on foreign policy in the Bush administration.

Observers said that Powell's leave will deprive the Bush administration of probably its most respected member abroad at a time when Bush is trying to mend fences with allies damaged by the Iraq war and revive the Middle East peace process.

However, Powell denied that his decision of resignation would affect his ability to pursue the agenda in the coming weeks, saying he was still secretary of state operating with Bush's authority.

Powell is scheduled to meet later Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and was to attend a meeting of Asian officials in Chile Wednesday and a multinational conference on Iraq next week.