Latvia must increase defense spending to about 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years, the president told reporters on Wednesday Edgar Rinkevich after meeting with the Prime Minister Evika Silinei.
The President expressed satisfaction that the salaries of employees of the internal affairs system have increased this year. It is also positive that the construction of border and military infrastructure continues in the east of the country, and a lot of work is being done to strengthen defense capabilities. At the same time, Rinkevich noted that “there is still a lot to be done.”
He recently reviewed the report of the National Armed Forces (NAF), which was presented to the Presidential Military Council.
«It is clear that even if we believe that 3.5% of GDP is a lot (for defense), it is not enough to develop our capabilities in NATO. We must work to ensure that this budget grows, defense spending grows“, said the president.
«In fact, we should be talking about plus or minus 4% of GDP. Perhaps not this year or next year, but in the future,” the president said, adding that “there is a lot of work to be done».
At the same time, as Rinkevich emphasized, financing defense is not just a matter of money. Money can be found, but Latvia has a “pretty serious problem” with its defense industry.
«Not everything we should purchase will be available in the near future“, Rinkevich said.
The President assured that he will continue to work on these issues with the government and the National Security Council. A NATO summit will take place in June to discuss the alliance’s overall spending policy.
When asked whether the decision that Latvia should increase investment in defense is related to statements by newly elected US President Donald Trump, the president said that he had spoken about this before.
«I would still consider this in the context of our own security and defense, but inevitably in the context of allies, and the US position is also important“, Rinkevich said.
The Prime Minister noted that the government has already allocated additional funds for security, and the share is growing every year. “4% of GDP is a figure we can strive for, but the main thing is to assess our needs,” Silina said, adding that everything possible will be done to strengthen Latvia’s security.
Silinya emphasized that what is more important than a specific percentage of GDP is that “we are defending our country, doing everything necessary.” Latvia, unlike other NATO countries, spends more than 3% of GDP on defense, she said.
«Currently, the supply of defense products in the world is quite limited, so we are interested in developing our own defense industry“Siliņa said, noting that there is progress, but the whole spectrum is not possible either in Latvia or in the Baltics, and perhaps even in the Scandinavian region.
Silina added that it is important for NATO countries to cooperate on defense capabilities and needs.
Trump reportedly said on Tuesday that NATO countries should increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Source: www.gorod.lv
