WARSAW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Poland plans to allocate 4.7 percent of its gross domestic product to defense next year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday.

"Next year's defense budget will be record-breaking, with over 186 billion zlotys (47.2 billion U.S. dollars) allocated for this purpose," Kosiniak-Kamysz said at a press conference.

He said Poland's defense spending is currently at a record high, totaling 137.1 billion zlotys in 2023 and increasing to 158.8 billion zlotys this year, the first year of the ruling coalition.

"The total expenditure on armaments is a kind of insurance policy," he said, adding that despite the strained budget situation, the government fully recognizes that defense and security spending is an absolute priority.

Under the current coalition, the Polish army currently has approximately 205,000 personnel, with plans to grow to 207,500 by the year's end, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Next year's budget has been approved by the Council of Ministers and submitted to the parliament, he said. (1 zlotys = 0.25 U.S. dollar) Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)