Bergmanis: Whole Europe striving to increase financing for defense

RIGA - The whole Europe is striving to increase financing for defense, which is in line with the wish of the US that all other NATO members spend more on defense, said Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis (Greens/Farmers) in an interview with the Latvian public television on Monday.

After participation in the Munich Security Conference which was attended also by a number of politicians from the new US administration, Bergmanis said that the Europeans already now are spending more on defense – last year Europe’s defense spending rose by 3.8 percent.

Bergmanis said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German defense minister also underscored that Germany is increasing its defense financing, even though it will not immediately reach 2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), but will move gradually towards this goal. Latvia in this respect is one of the good examples, increasing steeply its defense budget.

The minister underscored that in line with an increase of financing, it is also equally important how efficiently this money is used.

Bergmanis said that military spending is not the only area that promotes peace in the world, investments should be made also in development cooperation.