CHISINAU. Sept 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The Moldovan leaders are planning to evade a decrease in defense spending in 2004, chairman of the parliamentary commission on national security Yuri Stoikov said on Tuesday.
"Despite all difficulties in forming the budget for next year, the country's leaders will do their best to keep the military budget at this year's level or even increase it, if possible," Stoikov told a session of the Moldovan Defense Ministry board.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry's budget for 2003 amounts to MDL109m (USD8.13m).
Defense Minister Viktor Gaichuk earlier said that this year's budget mostly has a social nature, because about 60 percent of it will go for solving the personnel's social problems - paying salaries, providing food and outfit and covering rent and other utilities.
The Moldovan servicemen's salaries have been increased two times this year. A young Moldovan officer is paid an average of USD130-140 a month.
At the same time, the funds spent on combat training have made it possible to boost its efficiency, Gaichuk said. This is confirmed by a substantial increase in the number of live firing sessions and tactical exercises in National Army units.
The Moldovan parliament will get down to considering the draft budget for 2004 as soon as it is back from vacation. Its first session is scheduled for Thursday.