Despite the increase, budget defence will still be lower than two percent of GDP.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković confirmed on Tuesday that the budget for next year will include increased spending on the defence system, but that the amount, given that Croatia is in the excessive budget deficit procedure, will not reach two percent of GDP, reports Večernji List on November 22, 2016.
Plenković gave the statement during the second international security conference organized by the Croatian Statehood Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Croatia. He pointed out that one of the priorities of his government was drafting the new National Security Strategy and the Law on Homeland Security System, in order for Croatia to strengthen its defence capabilities and respond to security threats as a member of NATO and the European Union.
“We will strive to demonstrate that fact, within the limits of what is feasible, in the budget for 2017”, he said and pointed out that, at the time when Croatia is trying to leave the excessive budget deficit procedure, it was not easy to reach those two percent, which is Croatia’s “ambition”. “We will try to make certain steps by the end of the term of this government, which will make defence capabilities of Croatia and its general security reach the level of a reliable, efficient and interoperable partner of the international community”, said Plenković.
In a statement to reporters after addressing the conference, he confirmed that the defence budget in 2017 would be increased, but added that it was not realistic for it to reach two percent of GDP. “I think that is not realistic at the moment, but we are all aware that we have to make a step forward. The compromise that we will reach will be the first step towards further strengthening of our defence capacities in realistic terms”, he said.
Plenković did not want to disclose specific figures or percentages, saying that everything would be known after the draft budget is prepared. He stressed the importance of adopting new strategies and new legal framework due to “challenges of migrations and terrorism, which are the issues which we will surely deal with in the years ahead”.
Pointing out the participation of Croatia in peacekeeping missions around the world, Plenković added that Croatia had transformed its position from a recipient to a provider of security.
