Ukraine, Lithuania ink new deal for joint defence manufacturing

Ukraine and Lithuania have formalized plans to collaborate on the joint manufacturing of defence products, a move aimed at bolstering the security and military capabilities of both nations.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the development in a statement shared on his Telegram channel, Caliber.Az reports.

“Together, we are focusing on launching joint production, in particular, on the creation of long-range drones,” Shmyhal wrote, highlighting the strategic focus of the partnership.

The announcement follows the signing of a letter of intent on defence cooperation, inked in Kyiv by Minister Shmyhal and his Lithuanian counterpart, Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė. The document outlines concrete prospects for industrial collaboration, enabling the establishment of joint ventures, fostering the expansion of Ukrainian companies within Lithuania, and facilitating advanced technology exchanges.

“We discussed specific prospects for industrial cooperation that open up thanks to the Letter of Intent. The document creates new opportunities for launching joint ventures, developing Ukrainian companies in Lithuania, and exchanging technologies,” Shmyhal elaborated, underscoring the broad scope of the agreement.

Expressing gratitude towards his Lithuanian counterpart, Shmyhal emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation. “It is important that Lithuania will continue to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to military assistance to Ukraine until 2027. This is a strong signal of long-term support for our soldiers. We focused on attracting additional funding for the purchase of weapons and the development of Ukrainian industry,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva