Riga, Dec 13 (IANS): Swedish lawmakers approved the country's long-term participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s multinational brigade in Latvia, according to information from the Latvian Defense Ministry.

Sweden plans to deploy a mechanised infantry battalion of up to 600 personnel to join the multinational unit in Latvia. The Swedish troops are scheduled to arrive at the beginning of 2025, marking Sweden's first deployment to another allied country since its accession to NATO in March 2024.

Upon joining the alliance, Sweden declared its intention to contribute a combat battalion to the NATO multinational brigade in Latvia.

Currently, the NATO brigade in Latvia comprises forces from 13 member states: Albania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

Meanwhile, in another development, European members of NATO on Thursday began discussing a plan to gradually increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, reports Xinhua, quoting Financial Times.

Preliminary talks took place at last week's foreign ministers' meeting, during which members envisaged "a short-term pledge to hit 2.5 per cent and, by 2030, a target of 3 per cent."

The report said the decision could be made at the next NATO summit, which will take place in June 2025 in The Hague.

The current target, agreed on in 2014, is 2 per cent of GDP. The report added that increasing it to 3 per cent would "put intense pressure on already strained national budgets. "

Seven European NATO members, including Italy and Spain, have not reached the 2 per cent target in 2024. Germany reached the target for the first time this year.

The increase in defence spending comes as US President-elect Donald Trump, who has been demanding Europe pay more for its own security, is to take office in January.