Latvian top politicians suggest increasing defence budget to 2.5% of GDP

Both Latvia’s Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks and Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš suggest gradually increasing the country’s defence budget to 2.5% of GDP.
During the annual foreign affairs debates in the Saeima, Pabriks said that in addition to relying on Article 5 of NATO Treaty, Latvia should follow Finland’s example, develop its armed forces and be prepared to any surprises. This means joint readiness from the state and society in the event of a threat, said the politician.
Pabriks said he has proposed to his colleagues in the government, the PM and President Egils Levits’s bureau, suggesting an increase of the defence budget in the coming years. Estonia has already made a similar step, and Lithuania is currently engaged in discussions about this, said the politician.
Read also: NATO and US reject Russia’s military guarantee demands
The Minister of Defence believes in the next three years Latvia needs to accomplish that the defence budget reaches 2.5% of GDP. Pabriks invited Saeima speaker Ināra Mūrniece and President Egils Levits to support this initiative.
The politician stressed that once challenges reach Latvia’s border, it will be too late to increase the defence budget. This step needs to be taken to develop the defence sector and supply chains, which would be useful in times of crisis and war, said Pabriks.
Latvian PM said during debates that currently Latvia invests 2.3% of its GDP into defence. He also added that it is necessary to further increase investments so that the amount of financing reaches 2.5% of GDP.
«We will work on this topic. We will enhance our defensive capabilities. By strengthening ourselves we also strengthen NATO. It is a basic principle of the alliance’s defence system – take care of yourself and others will help you. We took care and will keep taking care of our defences, like it turned out with the Latvian-Belarusian border, which we managed to defend on our own,» said the PM.
Kariņš said that in regards to Latvia’s cooperation with NATO partners there are plans set aside for all possible situations.