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PRAGUE, July 11-- Czech politicians on Wednesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's demand on NATO member states to increase their defence spending to four percent of gross domestic product. Trump told the NATO leaders on Wednesday at the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, that they should increase their defense spending to 4 percent of their countries' economic output, which is higher than the previously pledged 2 percent. Trump also tweeted that the NATO members should meet their commitment of 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense spending immediately, not by 2024. In 2017, NATO members agreed to move toward spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense by 2024. In reaction to Trump's demand, Czech Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Jan Hamacek said he considered 2 percent of GDP as an optimal level of defence spending, adding Czech is ready to gradually raise defence spending first to 1.4 percent and then up to 2 percent of GDP in line with the NATO recommendation. Czech at present has more than one percent of GDP in defense already. Czech Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar said he considered Trump's statement as long-term appeal. The Czech target is to reach 2 percent of GDP by 2024. Metnar said the increase in defence budget must be planned and it must be upped gradually not by fits and starts. The current goal of Czech Republic is to meet the Alliance commitment of 2 percent of GDP by 2024. | 
