LISBON, Nov. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Portugal will downgrade its military presence in Afghanistan as a result of a "tight budget," Defence Minister Luis Amado said on Monday.

    Amado, who was on an inspection tour of Portuguese troops in the Afghan capital Kabul, said "given the difficulties our countryfaces, we have to think of where we can deploy our resources over the next year, which will have a tight budget."

    The Lusa news agency also quoted the defense chief as indicating that Portugal would make the decision when its 196 troops being deployed in Afghanistan would end their mission after August 2006.

    The downgrade of the mission would be taken into consideration in light of the changes to deployments in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Portuguese troops once numbered 300 and 289 respectively, according to the report.

    Portugal puts the cost of its mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina at 60 million euros (72 million dollars) in 2005.

    But Amado vowed to maintain the mission in Afghanistan. "We will certainly maintain a presence here," he said, adding "it is impossible to withdraw from international forces here in the coming years."

    In August, Portugal sent a contingent of 130 troops and a C-130military transport aircraft to Afghanistan to boost its forces as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

    Most of the Portuguese soldiers are stationed at the Kabul airport, where they are carrying out surveillance operations. Enditem