Lithuania needs at least EUR 1 b for critical military mobility infrastructure - official

VILNIUS - Lithuania needs around 1 billion euros to develop transport links critical for military mobility, Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa said.

Aleksa said Lithuania's overall military mobility needs amount to about 4 billion euros, with funding to be sought mainly from EU and NATO instruments.

"Our needs total 4 billion euros, including around 1 billion euros for critical transport infrastructure. We understand the scale of these projects. Without that funding, it would be very difficult to carry them out using national resources alone," the official told reporters at a military mobility forum in Vilnius.

"We are talking about reinforcement routes, first of all through the Suwalki corridor in the southwestern direction. This includes railways, Rail Baltica and roads. There are also other critical points, such as additional access routes via Klaipeda and airports. The minimum requirement for these critical projects is one billion euros," he said.

Aleksa said Lithuania wants the EU or NATO to cover most of the costs, as state budget funds are being directed mainly toward the army division.

He said the state could contribute "a few hundred million euros" to the infrastructure.

The deputy minister said EU funding is essential for these projects, while acknowledging that competition will be tough.

"We are fighting on many fronts, and military mobility is one of them. We fully understand that the 17-18 billion euros promised in the next multiannual financial framework is a very good figure. But we will see how negotiations unfold, and that flow of funding may be reduced," he said.

Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said transport links must be developed to allow rapid redeployment of military units and evacuation of civilians if needed.