Baltic countries are very committed on issues of security and defense - MEP

RIGA - The Baltic states are very committed on issues of security and defense, the head of the European Parliament's (EP) Budget Committee delegation, Helder Sousa Silva, stressed at a press conference on Wednesday.

A delegation from the EP Budget Committee visited Latvia this week to assess how strengthening the European Union's (EU) defense and crisis preparedness affects budget. Silva stressed that Latvia is on the right track by increasing defense spending, as it is not only meeting but also increasing the objectives set by NATO and the EU.

"The Baltic governments share the understanding that security is more important than parties. We fully support this. In the hierarchy of human needs, security is at the bottom, along with food and social needs", the Portuguese politician told reporters.

Silva pointed out that the EP, the European Commission and the EU Council all want to support investment in defense and security, which can be done through three sources of funding.

The first source, the politician explained, is the budgets of EU Member States. Member States also have the option of using defense bonds. The MEP stressed that the bloc's resources must also be strengthened without increasing taxes at national level.