Latvia to Increase Military Spending by Over $100Mln in 2016

Latvia plans to spend 350 million euro ($398 million) in its defense sector in 2016, an increase of almost 100 million euros, Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis said Monday.

RIGA (Sputnik) — In 2015, the Latvian Defense Ministry's budget made up 1 percent of the country's GDP, or about 254 million euro.

"Budget expenditures for the defense sector in the following year will amount to 1.4 percent of the gross domestic product," Bergmanis said.

The additional funds will be allocated to develop infrastructure projects, increase the number of servicemen to 6,000 and purchase air defense assets, Bergmanis added.

According to the defense minister, the current strength of the Latvian army is about 5,000 people.

Latvia is a NATO member, joining the alliance in 2004, along with Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.