ANNUAL DEFENSE EXPENSES TO MAKE UP 3.5% OF ARMENIA’S GDP
Regnum News Agency, Russia
Nov 6 2006
"The budgetary allocations for defense are enough to keep our army
efficient," Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan told journalists
after the Nov 6 budgetary hearings in the parliament. The annual
defense expenses will make up 3.5% of the GDP, i.e. the defense
expenses will directly depend on the economic growth.
Sargsyan said that 48% of the defense allocations will be spent on
the wages. He said that next year the average salary of an Armenian
officer will be 165,000 AMD (almost $450).
Commenting on the Azerbaijani authorities’ statement that Azerbaijan’s
defense budget is much bigger than Armenia’s one, Sargsyan said that
$1bln cannot be compared with $300mln, "but if we spend the money
effectively, we will attain a lot." Sargsyan said that next year the
Government will buy new equipment for the army.
To note, the draft budget 2007 allocates over 100.4bln AMD for defense,
of which 97bln AMD for military needs. 27mln AMD will be spent on
the organization of the alternative service.