Lithuania is holding talks on potential investments with defence industry companies from the US, France, and other countries, on top of Germany’s military industry giant Rheinmetall, Economy and Innovation Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė has said.
“We are in talks with companies from the US, France, and some other countries with strong defence and security industries,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
Armonaitė also said that agreements with Rheinmetall on the construction of a 155 mm artillery ammunition plant in Lithuania are expected to be signed within the next two weeks.
“We are working with the company, we are in talks, and I believe that certain agreements will be signed within the next two weeks,” she said.
According to her, the deal will also outline Lithuania’s role in Rheinmetall’s project but did not elaborate on whether the state could take a stake in the facility, how much it could invest in the project, and where the factory would be built.
“I cannot comment on the details because not everything has been agreed yet. We do not comment until we have a deal,” Armonaitė said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the minister presented to the parliament a package of legislative amendments to allow major Western arms and ammunition producers, including Rheinmetall, to set up their production facilities in Lithuania as quickly as possible.
The government proposes to set out a procedure for allowing the construction of large-scale defence projects to begin without the usual building permit. However, it would be mandatory to obtain the permit before the construction is completed.
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