Lithuania Highlights Defense Leadership in Manhattan
Manhattan, Sept. 22, 2025 — On the opening day of the 2025 UN General Assembly High-Level Week, the Baltic American Chamber of Commerce hosted a prestigious event at a private Manhattan club, spotlighting Lithuania’s strategic role in global defense and security partnerships.
The program opened with a Keynote Address and Fireside Conversation featuring H.E. Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania, moderated by Andrea Palasciano, European Security Correspondent at Bloomberg. President Nausėda discussed Europe’s evolving security environment and Lithuania’s commitment to strengthening transatlantic defense ties.
The event also marked the signing of three significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), reflecting growing U.S.-Lithuanian collaboration: between the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Lithuanian Innovation Agency, the Pennsylvania Drone Association and the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industry Association, and The Safariland Group (USA) and KOVO Armor (Lithuania).
Two panels provided deeper insights into defense investment and transatlantic security. The first, Driving Change in Strengthening Transatlantic Security, featured H.E. Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Maj. Gen. John R. Pippy, Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, and Simas Rutkauskas, CEO of Teltonika EMS, moderated by Philip Berkowitz, Board Member of the Baltic American Chamber of Commerce. The second, Turning Defense Investment into Business Opportunities, included Loreta Maskaliovienė, Deputy Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Mindaugas Keizeris, CEO of EPSO-G, Karin Rodgers, Director for International Government Relations at Northrop Grumman, and Ethan Thornton, CEO of MACH Industries, moderated by Vijay Sekhara of Resilience Media.
The panels were followed by a vibrant networking session, allowing participants to engage directly with over ten Lithuanian companies specializing in drones, advanced lasers, IT solutions, and other defense technologies. The event was emceed by Nathaniel Lucek, Partner at Hodgson Russ LLP.
Lithuania, a NATO frontline state, is preparing to allocate more than 5% of GDP to defense in 2026, the highest per capita defense spending in the Alliance. Global defense companies, including Northrop Grumman and Rheinmetall, are establishing operations in Lithuania, offering fast-track pathways for U.S. partnerships and investment.
The event was made possible thanks to the support of its sponsors. Premier sponsors included Norton Rose Fulbright US, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, and Lockheed Martin; partner sponsors were Littler, Glimstedt, and Safariland; and the supporter sponsor was PKF O’Connor Davies. The Chamber also extended thanks to the Consulate General of Lithuania in New York, the Embassy of Lithuania to the United States, and the American Lithuanian Business Council (ALBC) for their invaluable support in organizing the program.
As a New York-based organization dedicated to promoting and advancing business relations between the United States and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), the Baltic American Chamber of Commerce is laser-focused on helping its members build, grow, and thrive on both sides of the Atlantic. This event exemplifies that mission, connecting governments and businesses in meaningful collaboration.
