Polish president calls NATO members to spend more on defense

LJUBLJANA -- Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday called on NATO members to increase defense spending to 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from the current guideline of 2 percent.

Duda made the remark at a joint news conference with his Slovenian counterpart, Natasa Pirc Musar, during his two-day visit to Slovenia starting today.

The two leaders pledged their support to Ukraine and said they support the two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Pirc Musar said that Slovenia, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, is working with partners to achieve peace in Gaza and Ukraine.

Slovenia had pledged to increase its defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2030, up from 1.35 percent at present.