"I believe talking about possible delays more than three years before the end of the project is a bit strange," Kasčiūnas told ELTA.
He said the Rūdninkai military campus intended for the German soldiers is being built in two stages, with the first one launched in August this year.
A call for tenders for the second-stage development of facilities is planned later this year, according to the minister.
"It is really too early to talk about delays, because we can still make the call (for the tender – ELTA) this year. Then negotiations with potential companies would take place within a few months. They indicate that the construction work could take between 2.5 and 3.5 years. In principle, it is possible to do all this by the end of 2027," Kasčiūnas said.
"There may be risks, but we coordinate all this with our partners. They know everything, they understand the dynamics. I would suggest that instead of talking about some delays, we should do our best to get the work done on time," the minister underlined.
President Nausėda told TV3 television on Monday that Lithuania may be late in setting up the necessary infrastructure to host the German brigade. The new leadership of the Ministry of National Defence will need to give clear priority to that, he said.
"I believe that a delay of six months or a few months would certainly be accepted in an understandable and comprehensible way," Nausėda said.
Around 5 thousand German troops with families are expected to arrive in Lithuania by 2026. The German brigade is planned to be fully operational in 2027.