NATO to develop annual national plans for spending
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E-mail Xinhua, May 26, 2017
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will develop annual national plans for military spending, said NATO chief on Thursday, echoing the U.S. President's Donald Trump's vocal insistence.
"Today, we decided to develop annual national plans, setting out how Allies intend to meet the defense investment pledge we made together in 2014," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference after this day's summit.
He noted that the national plans would cover three major areas including cash, capabilities and contributions.
NATO nations were expected to plan how to meet their commitment to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, following Trump's harsh criticism over the short.
The members would also mull how to invest additional funding in key military capabilities and how to contribute to NATO missions, operations and other engagements.
The first set of reports on national plans will be completed by December this year and be reviewed by defense ministers in February, Stoltenberg said.
NATO's decision came following Trump's slam on many NATO nations, saying they "owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years."
The situation "is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, " Trump said in a speech.
NATO leaders from 28 allied countries gathered here for their first meeting at NATO's new headquarters in Brussels, with military spending, counter-terrorism on the agenda.
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