Andrej Plenković: Croatia intends to increase defense spending until 2030

Croatia will continue to systematically increase defense spending until 2030, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at the panel discussion "The Age of Multipolarity: Navigating New Realities" at the Dubrovnik Forum, Report informs.

The prime minister noted that Russia's war in Ukraine was a turning point that changed Europe's security architecture and demonstrated the importance of systematically strengthening defense capabilities: "Croatia has achieved the goal of raising defense spending to 2% of GDP and will continue to systematically increase this figure by 2030. This, in turn, thanks to stable economic growth and responsible public finance management, creates fiscal space to finance key priorities."

He also emphasized the importance of strengthening Europe's defense industry and technological base: "Croatia is developing its capabilities in this area, and more and more Croatian companies are successfully establishing positions in the field of modern defense technologies and innovative solutions."