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Parliament votes to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP

PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp 27.05.2015 18:22
The Sejm lower parliamentary house unanimously voted in favour of raising defence spending from 1.95 percent to 2 percent of GDP on Wednesday.
Defence Minister and Deputy PM Tomasz Siemoniak speaks to journalists after the Sejm voted on raising defence expenditure to 2% of GDP, in line with NATO recommendations. Photo: PAP/Jakub KamińskiDefence Minister and Deputy PM Tomasz Siemoniak speaks to journalists after the Sejm voted on raising defence expenditure to 2% of GDP, in line with NATO recommendations. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kamiński

“This is one of the most important days of my term as defence minister,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, who also serves as deputy PM.

“We are now at the level [of spending] which was recommended by NATO at the summit in Newport,” he told journalists after the parliamentary vote.

The amended bill on defence expenditure now has to be passed through the Senate as well as be rubberstamped by the president.

“I hope that this decision will be incorporated into [Poland’s] budget plans for 2016,” Siemoniak added.

The money will bring an additional estimated PLN 1 billion for the defence ministry, which is set to spend the funds on its continuing drive to modernise the army.

In the vote, 402 MPs voted for the expenditure hike, while only two voted against and two abstained. (jb)

Source: IAR/PAP

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