Czech Defense Ministry's 2020 Budget To Amount To $3.3Bln - Minister

Muhammad Irfan Published August 22, 2019 | 02:10 AM

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2019) The Czech Defense Ministry's budget in 2020 will amount to 75.5 billion crowns ($3.3 billion), which mostly will be spent on the acquisition of new arms, Czech Defense Minister Lubomir Metnar said Wednesday.

"We have managed to agree on increasing the Defense Ministry's 2020 budget by 1.2 billion crowns, so in total it will amount to 75.5 billion crowns," Metnar said after talks with Finance Minister Alena Schillerova.

According to the minister, the Czech Republic will invest the money into the strengthening of the Czech forces and acquisition of new helicopters and armed vehicles.

The increase of the budget goes in line with the pledge made by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis in March to reach the NATO's 2 percent of GDP spending target by 2024.

"The military budget is gradually getting to the promised 1.4 percent of GDP in 2021 and 2 percent in 2024," Metnar noted.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused NATO allies in Europe of not fulfilling their defense spending contributions to the alliance. In March, NATO said that just seven of its member states were meeting the commitment to ensure defense spending of at least 2 percent of GDP.