The factory is important for the safety of all of us
If the fields near Baisogalas, in the Radviliškis district, are finally chosen, the construction of the Rheinmetall factory could begin this year. It is true that construction would take place without obtaining permits.
“Work can be started and papers can be processed in parallel, but the factory will not be able to operate without permits. In other words, that permission will have to be obtained by the end of construction,” said Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of Economy and Innovation.
The law passed as a matter of urgency will apply to projects that the Government will recognize as ensuring immediate defense needs. This is what Rheinmetall’s plans to produce artillery shells in Lithuania, which are in short supply throughout NATO, are called.
“First of all, this is a factory that will really help us get the ammunition we need, in this case, ammunition. This is one plus. The second plus is a foreign investment,” said Seimas member (DFVL) Saulius Skvernelis.
The law will make it possible to coordinate the construction permit, environmental impact assessment, and some public information procedures will be eliminated after construction has already started.
The agreement was accepted quite simply
Cases when the parties do not argue about such matters are rare.
“All the simplicity lies in not informing the public and in the absence or abandonment of the coordination procedure. The law itself will be applied only in non-urbanized territories, so as long as this is the case, the problem will not arise”, said Member of the Seimas (LSDP) Gintautas Paluckas.
Such a law was adopted in the Seimas almost unanimously. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who came to the meeting and took a leave to participate in the presidential election campaign, managed to vote “for”. She only goes on vacation as the prime minister. Members of the Seimas do not formally have holidays.
“Without a doubt, in order for Lithuania to keep up and strengthen not only the common NATO Alliance, but also Lithuania, we must do everything to ensure that such production or such initiatives appear in Lithuania as well,” said Seimas member (LVŽS) Dainius Gaižauskas.
According to Minister A. Armonaitė, although the factory will be allowed to be built without obtaining permits, the environmental impact and safety requirements remain unchanged and will have to be ensured.
“The investor will have to meet all the requirements. This is his risk. If something happens, it will have to be fixed. Anyway, in Lithuania, we are not specifically stopping anything, the company, contractors and everyone will be consulted so that, however, they comply,” she said.
Other foreign investors may follow Rheinmetall’s example
Rheinmetall signed a letter of intent with Lithuania. A major investment contract is now being negotiated. According to the ministry, at the same time, negotiations are also underway regarding the start of construction already this fall, and how much money Lithuania will allocate to the project.
“It’s not going to be defense spending or anything. This is an investment that will bring a return, that will earn money”, said A. Armonaitė.
As a major investor, Rheinmetall will have other obligations. For example, to create at least 200 jobs, to pay wages that would be at least 1.5 and maybe even 2 times higher than the district average. Salaries in the Radviliškis district are now among the lowest in Lithuania.
“Let’s understand, the German investment tells other investors that it is safe to invest here. That investment will have to be protected, so, apparently, the brigade, being here, will see to it that the factory is also safe,” said S. Skvernelis.
Although other countries also attracted Rheinmetall, and Lithuania offered good conditions, the Germans themselves show great interest in creating in Lithuania. There is no doubt that with the support of the German Government.
Seeing the rapid development of “Rheinmetall” in Lithuania, other giants of the world’s military industry are already looking at Lithuania.
“That Rheinmetall coming is one plant, how many more are planned?” You don’t even know yet, and we are discussing”, said D. Gaižauskas.
Minister of National Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas will visit the United States next week, where he will meet with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Both of these concerns are among the top three in the American defense industry, producing the most advanced weapons in the world.
You can find the full report on the LNK portal:
Tags: construction Rheinmetall factory Lithuania start year exceptional conditions apply
