STOCKHOLM, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Finland decided Friday to increase the number of crisis management troops in Africa and Afghanistan while cutting down its forces in the Western Balkans, said reports reaching here from Helsinki.

    The decision was made by the president and the cabinet's foreign and security policy committee on Friday, informed sources told the Finnish public broadcaster YLE.

    Finland will send about 10 more trainers to Afghanistan and increase the number of peacekeepers stationed in Chad from 60 to 100. And furthermore, Finland may deploy a few observers to Somalia.

    At the same time Finland will cut the numbers of Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops by half by the autumn of 2009 and withdraw troops from the EU operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.