President: NATO appreciates Romania's defense allocation, but Govt. has to spend the money

President Klaus Iohannis said yesterday in Brussels at the end of the NATO summit that Romania's allocation of 2% of the GDP for defense was appreciated by the allies, but he warned that the money should actually be spent by the Government. The head of state said that Romania "reached its objectives" at the meeting in Belgium. “The fact that Romania has already allocated 2% of GDP for defense is highly appreciated by our allies, but, I repeat, it is essential to spend these amounts according to their purpose, which depends on the Government,” the President said. He added that it was decided at the meeting to develop three-component national plans for each country. The first component refers to commitments to increase defense allocations to 2% of GDP, but also to allocate at least 20% of the budget on equipment and research and development. The second component relates to investment commitments in modern capabilities to meet the NATO targets. The third one refers to commitments on national contributions for operations and missions. Romania, first in the region for increasing defense budget editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Klaus Iohannis on Facebook)