Army, how was the budget exceeded 2% of GDP? - 527 million euros were planned for defense for 2025
Albania has significantly increased investments in the defense sector, where for the first time in 2024, funds reaching 2% of Gross Domestic Product have been allocated. The government's projections are for this increase to be annual, with the aim of reaching 2.8% of Gross Domestic Product within 10 years.
Last year, the Council of Ministers sent two documents to the Parliament for approval: "The Long-Term Development Plan of the Armed Forces 2024-2033" and "The Military Strategy of the Republic of Albania".
Referring to the strategy, the Armed Forces will ensure and increase their operational capacities through the modernization of their systems and equipment, to guarantee national defense and fulfill obligations within the framework of collective defense.
The Military Strategy of the Republic of Albania emphasizes that "in fulfillment of obligations under Article 3 of the Washington Treaty and in implementation of the decision taken by the heads of allied countries at the NATO Summit in Vilnius 2023, it will be aimed that the Defense budget be no less than two percent of Gross Domestic Product and that expenditures for investments, equipment and armaments be 20 percent of the Defense budget, as also accepted in the Wales Summit Declaration."
Meanwhile, in the 2025 budget, defense was allocated a budget of 52.7 billion lek, or 4.4 billion lek more than in 2024. This increase in the fund is also reflected in the share of the budget dedicated to this ministry compared to GDP. This year, the fund accounts for 2.01% of GDP, while in 2024 it accounted for 2% of GDP.
The priority in the budget is the combat forces, which occupy more than half of the total fund or in absolute value translates to 28.8 billion lek and 8.3 billion lek will go to combat support. Also important are the items "social support for military personnel" and "civil emergencies" that occupy 9.9% and 10.4% of the total fund dedicated to this ministry. In contrast, only 1.5 billion lek or 3% of the total were projected for planning and management.
The Ministry of Defense aims to fulfill the initiated reforms and the realization of the constitutional duties of the Armed Forces (AF), international commitments within NATO, the AF's commitments within the regional framework and the AF's own training capabilities.
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