Dear guests,
Signatories to
the Act of the Re-establishment of the Independent State of Lithuania, Members
of the Initiative Group of the Sąjūdis Reform Movement and the Council
of Sąjūdis,
Ladies and
gentlemen,
These days most people in our
homeland and Lithuanians residing abroad, evoke in
their memories the 20-year old events they happened to eyewitness and
participate in.
There is no
doubt that the national revival and its consistent outcome on 11 March 1990
were among the brightest and greatest moments in our history evoking a burst of
emotions to all Lithuanian citizens. However, I would like to highlight one
more fact that bears equal significance to me and, I believe, to you as well. I
have in mind the feeling of solidarity and commonness of interests. The fact
that the nation striving for freedom was united may seem quite natural, but
there was yet another thing the awareness that we were not left alone in our
fight and that we were supported and morally protected by democratic forces all
over the world. This was extremely consolidating and gratifying. While heads of
states were wavering or hesitating, the ordinary citizens of those countries
were fervently supporting us.
The Act of 11
March 1990 was an important threshold not only to us, Lithuanians. It was a
challenge for the entire world: were democracy, freedom, equality of nations,
justice, and human dignity only high-sounding words? Did real politics rest
solely on pure interests, calculation, and material benefit?
The global
reaction towards our Freedom Declaration proved this suspicion wrong and
demonstrated that the ideals of truth and freedom as well as the right of
nations to self-determination were still alive. Today, on the eve of our
Anniversary, I would like to sincerely thank all those whose words and deeds
did not diverge then, twenty years ago, in the face of the threat and the
unknown. 13 January 1990,, another fatal
date for Lithuania,
demonstrated the menace the nation and, primarily, the Signatories to the Act
of Independence were facing after declaring Lithuanias independence. On 13
January 1991 we were destined to re-affirm our determination to live as a free
nation. Moreover, we did re-affirm it with our bare hands, songs, and prayers,
boldly standing against the tanks and even halting them. This Parliament
building along with our re-established state was then defended only thanks to
the extreme faith of people, their love, and hope. We are going to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of this historic moment next year.
The significant
dates of the life of a nation, its history as well as the outstanding events
have their roots and their continuation. What happened in Lithuania in 1990 and 1991, has a direct link to the entire history of our nation,
including:
16 February 1918;
the book-smugglers of the 19th century who contributed to preserving the
Lithuanian language, the oldest living Indo-European language;
the 19th century uprising with its
slogan For Our Freedom and Yours!;
the freedom fights of the
Commonwealth of the Two Nations in the 17th century;
the 1st Statute
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the 16th century which was a unique
Constitution and offered an entirely legal system in the context of European
Feudal law;
the diplomatic and political
victories of Vytautas the Great;
the battle of Grunwald in 1410;
and King Mindaugas who summoned our
tribes and our nation to form a single state.
These events and
historic thresholds have one thing in common: the nation that often found
itself on the verge of extinction, managed to acquire a new perception of
itself and its vocation resulting in the rise of a new generation for new vital
battles.
I have already
touched upon that unique feeling of awareness that nations and citizens of
other states care about the freedom of our nation. For 20 years now we have
been expressing our sincere gratitude to Iceland as it was the first state
to recognize our independence, even before the collapse of the Soviet empire.
The support of
Russian democrats was especially important to us in both political and moral
sense. Therefore, I feel delighted today to see Mr Sergei Kovalev, defender of
human rights and nation rights, who congratulated us immediately after the
promulgation of the Act of Independence here, in the Seimas, on 11 March 1990.
I would also
like to express my special gratitude to our guests from Moldova, the first former Soviet
Republic to congratulate the free Lithuania back
then.
I can recall the
feeling of special respect we had for Sweden,
the first state to open its representation in Lithuania.
I can hardly
find proper words to express our gratitude to Hungary,
Czechoslovakia and Poland: the
countries that knew from their own experience how promptly and painfully may
the outbursts of freedom be crushed by tank tracks. The common destiny and
values united our efforts into the process of national rebirth expressed in
Solidarnosc actions, Vaclav Havels works, and equally heroic and tragic
destiny of Imre Nagi. Our common efforts resulted in the common decision of Poland, Czechoslovakia
and Hungary
to secede from the Warsaw Pact. The US
policy to deny recognition of the occupation of the Baltic States was of high
significance to Lithuania
until the moment of the restoration of its independence.
I would like to
express my sincere gratitude to all whose minds and hearts were with Lithuania on 11
March 1990. Let me acknowledge everyone whose words and deeds helped us win the
most important battle of the end of the 20th century.
In addition, we
are appreciative and grateful to all those whose words
and deeds led us to that date: members of the Sąjūdis Initiative Group
and the Council of Sąjūdis as well as numerous ordinary people who
patiently and honestly did their job. Let me extend our special gratitude to
the Signatories thanks to whom our Freedom Declaration became a reality.
My appreciation
goes to all those who today continue to live and think led by the same ideals
of freedom and truth. In the light of these ideals, allow me to extend my
sincere congratulations to all citizens of our state and all the guests of our
celebration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanias
independence.
For Our Freedom
and Yours!
