BERLIN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic will not meet NATO's target of spending 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense this year, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Friday.
In a statement posted on social media platform Facebook, Babis attributed the shortfall to the urgent need to consolidate public finances.
The prime minister said that the country would meet the 2-percent target next year as part of a long-term plan to systematically increase investment in the military.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Wednesday that the Czech Republic failed to meet the defense spending target last year. ■
