Grybauskaitė giving this address in Simonas Daukantas Square on Tuesday. Photo by Džojos Barysaitės/Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania

Today we celebrate a very special date in the history of our nation, July 6, which marks the beginning of Lithuanian statehood. More than seven hundred years ago, Lithuania united under a crown.

It was a resolute step made by the Baltic tribes led by Mindaugas on the international arena of those times. It made Lithuania stronger, protected her from enemies who from then on had to speak with us in the language of diplomacy, not the threat of war.

The state created by Mindaugas, even though divided by internal feuds, continued to stand and grow.

The development of the nation is no less important today, and that’s why we hold July 6, the day when Lithuanian statehood was born, so dear. But even more important is its foundations. Are they built on brutal force, fear and hatred or on love, unity, tolerance, mutual understanding, and trust? It is especially vital today, when people have less confidence in their state, its institutions, support, and protection of each and every person.

So let us never forget that together, all of us, we are the architects and builders of this country. There is no need to sacrifice ourselves for the state — we need to love and create it. Let us strengthen our statehood every day. It is a never-ending process. What we need is concrete work, not statements that we are so tired of hearing.

I believe in you and in the young generation. It is a generation that was born and grew up in a free country, a generation that has the whole world open to them. We now live in an independent state which is ours to love and cherish and which has opened up a path of unlimited opportunities.

I send my greetings to all on Statehood Day and I wish that we never have to repeat history and rebuild Lithuania again. It is only in a strong and secure state that we will be strong and secure.

I strongly believe that the creative vision of our people, their ability to come and stand together in the face of challenge, their determination to overcome even the most difficult obstacles, and their unfailing faith in the future of the nation are the royal moral values handed down to us by King Mindaugas, values that we have always been, and will continue to be, proud of.

Dalia Grybauskaitė is the president of the Republic of Lithuania. Learn more about her administration here. This text is the Statehood Day Address given by Grybauskaitė July 6 in front of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, translated from the original Lithuanian by the president’s office.

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