(Tbilisi, December 27, 2002. Civil Georgia) – The 2003 draft budget considers 67,3 million Lari (up to USD 32 million) for the Ministry of Defense (MoD), which is 30 million Lari more then in 2002.
At the Parliamentary special session today, which discusses the draft of the 2003 budget, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Irakli Batiashvili hailed the tendency of increase of the defense budget, but stated that army needs at least 80 million Lari for the normal functioning.
“24 million from this sum will be spent for the programs aiming integration into NATO; 18 million will go for Train-and-Equip Program. The remaining 25 million Lari is absolutely insufficient for the defense,” Irakli Batiashvili stated.
The Committee Chairman said that security situation deteriorates in Georgia and financing of the defense and security bodies would be vital in 2003.
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