Ramping up European Defence and Security Capability: Recommendations from the North East Flank Group
Just ahead of the NATO Summit held in The Hague on June 23–24, an international Business Leaders’ Forum took place, with the participation of Vidmantas Janulevičius, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK). During the “Defence Captains” dinner, NATO leadership met with international business leaders to discuss ways to strengthen Europe’s defense industrial capabilities.
NATO Secretary General-designate Mark Rutte highlighted a key point during the forum:
“There’s no defence without a strong defence industry. And there’s no European security without a strong transatlantic bond.”
“Security is not just strategy written on paper. It is built in factories, laboratories, server rooms – where engineers, technologists and supply chain professionals work,” stressed LPK President Vidmantas Janulevičius.
During the Business Leaders’ Forum that accompanied the NATO Summit, LPK, together with partners from Sweden, Poland, Norway, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, presented a new Northern and Eastern European Flank Declaration on Defense Readiness, outlining seven strategic priorities:
• Simplify investment and permitting procedures
• Promote technology development and workforce training
• Strengthen supply chains – from raw materials to logistics
• Revise public procurement principles
• Identify and secure areas requiring strategic independence
• Deepen cooperation between business and science
• Coordinate efforts across the EU’s eastern flank – where security challenges are greatest
The declaration was signed by:
• Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists
• Polish Confederation “Lewiatan”
• Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
• Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise
• Confederation of Danish Industry
• Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic
“The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that technology, production capacity, and delivery speed determine not only military but also economic survival. Yet Europe’s defense industrial recovery is a complex process. We are still facing serious challenges: an unclear and slowly evolving regulatory environment, competition for raw materials and talent, lengthy permitting cycles, and a lack of risk-sharing between governments and industry. That’s exactly what we addressed at the forum – how to ensure that business, acting in coordination, can respond faster, operate more effectively, and invest more boldly,” said LPK President Janulevičius.
He emphasized that Lithuanian industry today is at NATO’s strategic table – not as a passive observer, but as an active partner.
North East Flank Statement on Defence Readiness – NATO Summit 23062025
