NATO chief calls on members to stop military spending cuts
Iran Press TV
Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:6AM GMT
The NATO secretary general has called on the alliance members to stop cutting their military spending in the face of the economic crisis, warning that the measure could damage their military readiness and capabilities.
At the start of a NATO defense ministers' meeting in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Thursday, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, 'If defense cuts continue, it will have a negative impact on our ability to provide effective defense and protection of our populations."
The NATO chief added, "It is of course a matter of concern that we have seen and continue to see declining defense budgets all over the alliance."
Rasmussen also urged the allies to employ their resources more efficiently "through more multinational cooperation" and to boost their defense spending "once the economies recover."
In his annual report released on January 31, Rasmussen pointed to the increasing level of uneven military spending among the NATO member states.
He also expressed concern that the NATO member states had cut their military spending at a critical juncture when the alliance is engaged in the Afghan war, as its most demanding mission.
The NATO chief called on the Western countries to avoid spending cuts in their arms production apparatus as their military industries can help revitalize the West's declining economy.
"If we cut defense spending too much, there is the risk that we could make the economic situation worse," the report said.
The global financial crisis has forced many NATO member states to sharply reduce their military spending.
In 2012, from among NATO's 28 allies only the United States, the UK and Greece spent more than two percent of their GDP for military purposes.
MR/HMV
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