Kalinak: Big Jump in Defence Spending Would Turn Budget into "Dog's Dinner"

Pecovska Nova Ves, 4 June (TASR) - A big jump in defence spending from 2 to 5 percent of GDP would turn the state budget into a "dog's dinner", said Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) before the government's away-from-home session in Pecovska Nova Ves in Sabinov district (Presov region) on Wednesday. According to Kalinak, industry in Slovakia and in Europe as a whole is not sufficiently geared up to make it possible to re-invest that sort of money. He thinks that it will take Slovakia ten years to reach this goal. "If a majority approves the proposal, Slovakia won't be able to block it, but we will set out on a path that will be tailored to our needs and requirements," said Kalinak, who at the same time pointed to the development of infrastructure. He would like to speak to the Transport Ministry regarding how it would be possible to strengthen the R2 expressway or build a bypass around the town of Sliac (Banska Bystrica region) as part of defence spending. Kalinak thinks that the country could discuss if it should bring about such an increase in seven or ten years. "We want to be responsible in the sense of adding these capabilities in a way that would correspond to Slovakia's tempo. I would prefer ten years," he stated, adding that the decision would be a commitment in line with how serious a partner Slovakia will be in terms of collective defence. President Peter Pellegrini at a summit of leaders of the Bucharest Nine (B9) grouping on Monday (2 June) stated that Slovakia doesn't intend to be a country that would prevent consensus in the case of a hike in the defence spending of individual NATO-member states. He noted that according to the proposal, member states should gradually increase their direct defence spending from the current 2 percent of GDP to 3.5 percent. At the same time it would be possible to invest an additional 1.5 percent in so-called dual-purpose investments. df/am