„The German team coming to Lithuania is an excellent opportunity for our businesses and investors. Billions of euros will be spent on preparations for the brigade's arrival and its maintenance, with additional needs.
We must not forget that 5,000 soldiers are coming, who will live in housing, go to restaurants, use public transport, consume in our market – their relatives will also come to Lithuania, either to live in Lithuania or as tourists,“ said Vaikšnoras on Friday at the annual forum of foreign investors.
According to the Commander in Chief, the state is interested in ensuring that Lithuanian-based companies meet as much of the army's needs as possible. He recalled that cooperation between the Armed Forces and business is ongoing.
„Everything we do in the field of defence is somehow linked to the private sector. Of course, the army has specialists, but there are not enough. If we are talking about high-level, advanced technology, it is improving yearly – both hardware and software. This inevitably leads to cooperation with business, especially in peacetime,“ the General explained.
„I can say that in the long term, we need to ensure that companies in Lithuania produce more for our military forces. This would allow us to be less dependent on foreign companies,“ he added.
Vaikšnoras believes that the expansion of the country's military forces, increasing defence spending, and, eventually, the arrival of the German Brigade will create new opportunities for the country's businesses.
ELTA recalls that Berlin has pledged to deploy a brigade-sized military unit in Lithuania in the summer of 2022. In total, around 5,000 German soldiers and civilians from the brigade deployed to Lithuania. Some of them will come with their families.
It is expected that the majority of the brigade will be deployed to Lithuania by 2026. According to German Defence Minister Pistorius, the brigade will be operational in 2027. The first element of the German Brigade was deployed to Lithuania this spring with over 20 soldiers, who are responsible for planning the brigade's Deployment to Lithuania and coordinating the military infrastructure requirements.
