Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday signed a decree to create a working group aimed at designing a National Defense Strategic Plan focusing on the reconstruction of the nation's arms industry.
Reviving development of the arms industry and investment in research centers will be the most important aspects of the plan, which is expected to be finished in a year, the president said.
It is necessary to recover part of the technological expertise Brazil once held in the area, as well as the power of the country's armed forces, he added.
The federal government plans to increase the annual budget of the Defense Ministry to 9 billion reals (4.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2008, up from 6 billion reals (3 billion dollars) in 2007.
It will be "the largest rise for a decade," the president said.
He also highlighted the importance of the military for the development of technology and for the protection of Brazil's sovereignty in the Amazon rainforest region.
The Brazilian arms industry currently produces missiles, planes, armored equipment and other weaponry.
Source: Xinhua
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