June 13, 2006 - 18:54 AMT
Georgia Ranks First in Armament Race
Georgia is the world leader in military expenditures, says the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SPRI) engaged in the investigation of the armament market. Tbilisi's expenditures for armament increased 2.5 times during a year and made $146 million. Compared with the United States, China, Russia, European states and Near East the amount is not much but Georgia left behind its neighbors - Azerbaijan (with 51% growth) and Armenia (23% growth). The SPRI specialists condition the sharp growth of expenditures with Georgia's wish to join the NATO. However they also mention Georgia's aspiration to re-subordinate Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reported the BBC News.