Azerbaijan to allot extra $650 mln for defense, security in 2023

BAKU. May 30 (Interfax) - The Azerbaijani government is planning to allot an extra 1 billion manat ($588.2 million at the current exchange rate) from the national budget in 2023 for defense projects and measures, the Azerbaijani Finance Ministry said.

"The 2023 budget allots 2.07 billion manat for such purposes. However, amendments to the 2023 state budget, submitted to the parliament, envisage the allotment of an extra 1 billion manat for financing special projects and measures in the field of defense, given the need for higher defense capacity. Thus, the overall expenses of the kind will amount to 3.07 billion manat ($1,805,900,000) this year," the ministry said.

The amendments increase defense and national security expenses of the national budget by a total of 1.105 billion manat or $650 million (including 1 billion manat for special defense projects) to 6,054,800,000 manat ($3,561,400,000).