An Irish arms industry group lobbied Irish businesses on behalf of a foreign NATO member government.
On behalf of the Lithuanian government the Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) invited its members to an event part organised by the Baltic state’s Ministry of National Defence.
The lobbying group organised introductions for Irish businesses to attend the “defence” and “security” networking event in 2023.
Its members include Lucinda Creighton’s Vulcan Consulting and international arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, SAAB and Hensoldt.
“Please find enclosed an invitation from the Embassy of Lithuania to Ireland, to all our IDSA Members,” reads a February 2023 email from the group to its members about the event co-sponsored by Brave1, an arm of the Ukrainian military.
‘Past attendees have included Palantir CEO Alex Karp’
Correspondence seen by The Ditch shows the Irish Defence and Security Association IDSA inviting its members to the Baltic Miltech Summit,
Along with the 25 April event IDSA members were also invited to a “live firing demonstration” on April 26 at a” military firing range”.
Official literature for the Baltic Miltech Summit, seen by The Ditch, said it aimed to “accelerate the development of local and regional defence ecosystem” and “enable regional and international defence industry cooperation”.
It’s an annual gathering of military, political and arms industry figures and past attendees have included Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Lithuanian president HE Gitanas Nausėda.
Talks at the 2023 event included a keynote speech about “innovations born during the Ukraine war” and a session on “Kickstarting DIANA and the Innovation Fund” – a reference to NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.
IDSA declined to comment.
