February 23, 2011 - 11:24 AMT
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: post soviet countries prepare for war

The military expenditures in Georgia and CIS countries will exceed their GDP by three times compared to 2010.

While world powers are cutting their defense budgets, the military expenditures of the former USSR republics (except for Russia) grew by 23% to total $60,6bln.

Azerbaijan set record by allocating 6,2% of its GDP for armament and army building ($3,1bln against $1,5bln last year). Armenia is planning 4,1% of its GDP ($387mln) as defense budget. Nagorno Karabakh’s military expenditures are expected to reach $150mln.

Russia’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper doesn’t exclude that the post soviet countries may prepare for new armed conflicts.