But while speaking at an army day event in the northern city of Oporto late Saturday, the prime minister refused to say if the 130-strong Portuguese mission in southern Iraq would be extended beyond its November 12 deadline.

"I will not speak about that issue," the newspaper Publico quoted him as saying Sunday.

Santana Lopes said Portugal would in 2005 increase the size of its current deployment of 297 soldiers in Bosnia and would in January send a new contingent to Kosovo.

Earlier this month European Union foreign ministers agreed to set up a 7,000-strong force which will take over peacekeeping duties in Bosnia from NATO on December 2 in what will be the biggest military operation yet undertaken by the 25-nation bloc.

Portugal currently has two soldiers and three F16 fighter jets in Kosovo as part of NATO's KFOR peacekeeping mission in the region.

Lisbon sent a larger force to Kosovo in June 1999 but withdrew it two years later citing financial difficulties.

Santana Lopes added Portugal would reinforce during the second half of 2005 its contingent of 32 soldiers who are currently helping the ISAF international force operating in Afghanistan guard the airport in the country's capital Kabul.

He said this choice of missions would allow Lisbon to keep the balance between providing support to the nation's transatlantic alliance with the US with proving support for EU-led missions.

"It is also a realistic policy from the point of view of Portugal's financial possibilities," he added.

Portugal also has nine men who are taking part in a UN-led peacekeeping mission in former Portuguese colony East Timor. Santana Lopes did not say if this mission would be continued.