Defence spending should ‘expand economy’ – defence minister
Bringing forward the target of investing 2% of GDP in defence this year "will bring a return and help the economy grow", said Nuno Melo.
Portugal’s defence minister, Nuno Melo, said on Friday that bringing forward the target of investing 2% of GDP in defence this year is “based on the assumption that it will bring a return and help the economy grow”.
“Commitments have been made and assumptions have been made for investments. The commitments are within the scope of NATO, and the goal for the modernisation of assets, infrastructure and equipment must be in line with NATO’s capability targets, but this investment is based on the assumption that it will generate returns and grow the Portuguese economy, not the opposite,” he said.
Nuno Melo was speaking to journalists on arrival at the Ajuda National Palace in Lisbon, where the swearing-in ceremony for the secretaries of state of the 25th Constitutional Government is taking place.