Lithuania is further deepening security and defence cooperation with the United States of America. Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed a Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Lithuania and the United States of America at the meeting in Washington.
The signed agreement aims to improve conditions for mutual industrial cooperation and facilitate bilateral defence cooperation via research and development data exchange, joint acquisition of defence items and maintenance services for defence equipment.
“Today I am pleased we are signing this agreement which will allow our defence industries to deepen and develop their ties. It will help Lithuanian manufacturers to participate in U.S. public tenders and make the inter-governmental procurement more fluent,” said Minister A. Anušauskas.
The U.S. is one of the key allies for Lithuanian security and one of the main partners in defence equipment procurement that also frequently renders assistance for that purpose. Lithuania has been buying Javelin anti-tank missile systems from the U.S. for many years, it also has contracts with the U.S. Government on acquisition of 200 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and 4 Black Hawk helicopters.
Photo credits: Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States
