DEFENSE IS NOT SUBJECT TO SEQUESTRATION
by: Alexei Matveev
WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
February 8, 2010 Monday
Russia
HIGHLIGHT: THE AGGREGATE MILITARY EXPENSES OF POST-SOVIET COUNTRIES
WILL GROW BY 5% IN 2010; Analysis of open data on military budgets
of the post-Soviet states (except for the Baltic countries) planned
for 2010 shows that majority of them is not going to reduce their
expenses on national defense.
Analysis of open data on military budgets of the post-Soviet states
(except for the Baltic countries) planned for 2010 shows that majority
of them is not going to reduce their expenses on national defense.
The aggregate military expenses of the post-Soviet countries in the
dollar equivalent will grow by 5% in 2010 in comparison to 2009 and
almost by 15% in comparison to 2008. Georgia and other Transcaucasian
countries are the absolute leaders like in the past. In 2010 defense
expenses of Georgia will exceed 4.5% of its GDP, which in comparison
to 2008 has decreased by more than $1 billion and will amount
approximately to $11.3 billion in 2010.
Azerbaijan achieved a kind of leadership in the speed of its
militarization too. Growth of its GDP did not decrease despite the
crisis. In 2010 defense expense of Azerbaijan will exceed $1.5 billion
or will amount almost to 4% of the country’s GDP.
Armenia demonstrates alarming data on defense expenses too. According
to forecasts of the IMF, in 2009 economic decline in this country
amounted to 15.6%, a record figure for the CIS. However, Armenian
authorities did not reduce defense expenses in relative terms
(in percentage of the GDP). In the last three years, they reached
their historic maximum exceeding 4% of the GDP. The military
potential of Armenia is supplemented by the self-defense forces of
Nagorno-Karabakh. According to expert estimates, their aggregate
expenses are not less than $600 million per year.
In Central Asia Uzbekistan is actively increasing its military
potential still. Uzbek leader Islam Karimov planned a sensationally big
amount of defense expenses of almost $1.42 billion for 2010 outrunning
Kazakhstan the GDP of which was twice as big as that of Uzbekistan. In
2010 Kazakhstan will spent not less than 1% of the GDP on defense,
whereas in Uzbekistan this parameter amounts to 3.5% of the GDP. It
is not surprising that Uzbekistan continues the militarization. First,
this country has a difficult inter-ethnic situation and overpopulation
of the country increases social discontent despite the economic
achievements. Authorities of the country parry these threats by
reinforcement of the repressive staff.
Second, Tashkent has permanently conflict relations with its neighbors,
especially with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The Uzbek regime also
helps NATO forces in the northern provinces of Afghanistan populated
predominantly by Uzbeks. Karimov informally pursues a goal of complete
subordination of the neighboring provinces of Afghanistan to himself.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have small defense expenses in Central
Asia still. Their military budgets are supplemented with the aid from
Russia, China and some NATO countries operating in the region still.
Military expenses of Turkmenistan and Moldova remained almost on the
same level in 2010.
Ukraine plans to increase its military expenses significantly to $5.2
billion. Along with this, there is no guarantee that it will manage
to do this easily. Due to the election turmoil the budget of Ukraine
for 2010 was not passed yet. Financing of the armed forces of the
country lags behind the real needs of the Ukrainian armed forces still.
Despite the crisis, financing of the army in Belarus remains on the
old level of more than $900 million. This amounts to 1.5% of the
country’s GDP. A few years ago, authorities of Belarus promised to
increase the military expenses to 2% of the GDP by 2010. The budget
of the Union State of Russia and Belarus increases the military
expenses of Minsk a little. In 2010, expenses on military purposes,
joint defense and military technological cooperation of Russia and
Belarus will amount to about $63 million in 2010, which will account
for 39% of the entire budget of the Union State.
Military expenses of Russia are increased by 3.4% in absolute terms
in ruble equivalent. However, as a result of the GDP decrease and
dollar appreciation against ruble conversion of the military budget
into dollars reduced the military expenses of Russia in 2010 almost
by $1.5 billion in comparison to 2009.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
