Belgium aims to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP this year

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via “Special Operations Regiment - Belgian Army.” on Facebook

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The Belgian government aims to accelerate defence spending by 4 billion euros ($4.2 billion) in the coming months, the Belgian defence ministry said on Tuesday, confirming a report by Belgian newspaper De Tijd that cited Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

The increase should take Belgium's total defence spending to 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) this year, which is the minimum level agreed among NATO allies.

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken will propose the increase at the next cabinet meeting on Friday, his spokesperson said.

The new Belgium government had said last month it would reach this threshold by 2029. Defence spending is currently around 1.3% of Belgian GDP, and has never reached the 2% level before.

De Wever aims to have the higher spending in place by the NATO summit on June 24, De Tijd reported.

($1 = 0.9535 euros)

(Reporting by Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Aidan Lewis)

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