This is an ongoing topic among NATO members too especially because of a complex security situation. General secretary of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg said on a recently held summit in Warsaw that the Alliance will increase defense expenditures. Leader of the Alliance estimated that European countries and Canada will spend 3% more on defense compared to last year, which will amount to 8 billion US dollars.
Our country is taking necessary steps to increase defense expenditures too in order to reach NATO standards.
By choosing to become a NATO member Montenegro accepted the responsibility of reforms and reaching NATO standards whoch also include budget expenditures for defense at the level of 2% from annual GDP. The plan is to increase spending gradually in order to reach the level of 2% by the year of 2024.
During recent years, Montenrgrin spending on defense was approximately 1.5% of GDP, it was said from Ministry of defense.
Military analyst Aleksandar Radic said that among European members a “long neglecting of defense needs” was evident.
He thinks that the 2% of GDP for defense is not a NATO condition, but an invitation to follow the idea which would be equal for everyone, and that is the mechanism of collective responsibility.
