Breakaway Abkhazia to Double Defense Spending

Abkhaz de facto Defense Minister Vyacheslav Eshba said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Vremia Novostei on November 30, that Abkhazia intends to double its defense spending.
 
?Moreover, we will seriously increase the strength of our regular army. Georgia speaks much about implementation of reforms in its army to bring it closer to NATO standards. In reality, this measure aims at the forceful return of Abkhazia,? Eshba said.

However, he did not specify figures of either the current, or planned defense spending.
 
The de facto Abkhaz Defense Minister also said that the number of regular armed forces, which currently includes up to 5,000 servicemen, will be also increased.

He also said that there are supporters of both pro-governmental presidential contender Raul Khajimba and opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh in the Abkhaz reserve forces, which includes 18,000 reservists.

?But in case of aggression against Abkhazia, all of them [the reservists] will stand together,? Eshba added.