Press
release, 12 July 2014
Dalia
Grybauskaitė was sworn in at the solemn sitting of the Seimas of the Republic
of Lithuania as President on 12 July 12. After taking the oath Dalia
Grybauskaitė received all the powers of the President of the Republic of
Lithuania for a new five-year term.
The Head
of State received congratulations from the Speaker of the Seimas, Loreta
Graužinienė, the Prime Minister
Algirdas Butkevičius and the President of the Constitutional Court, Dainius Žalimas. The Metropolitan Archbishop
of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, delivered the invocation.
In her congratulatory address the Speaker of the Seimas, Loreta
Graužinienė, noted that the President had received an exceptional mandate which
voices the choice and trust of our nation. “This is the best evaluation that
can be earned by a politician and country’s supreme power representative,”
Loreta Graužinienė said.
The Speaker of the Seimas underlined that harmonious
cooperation of all powers is an important pre-condition for effective solving
of the issues that are relevant for our state and society, “Political
discussion without diversified opinions is impossible but our key objective is
finding best solutions for Lithuania. Having acquired still deeper political
experience, today you, Your Excellency, are given an excellent opportunity to
pursue the work already started. Our common goal is to ensure that the voice of
every person is heard, that the right of every citizen is protected, and that
people are able to create the wellbeing of their own and that of their loved
ones in a dignified manner,” said the Speaker in her congratulatory address.
In his speech the Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius noted that
cooperating with the President was a big challenge and very useful experience for
the 16th Government of the Republic of Lithuania. “What we consider most important is that we
received your support to the reforms that had been started and that in the hot
disputes we managed to find consensus on the matters of relevance for Lithuania
and its people. [...] You continue leading the country under considerable international
tension, in a disturbing period of time,
which we could not have imagined a few years ago. I therefore wish you great
endurance and success as the President’s success is the success of the whole
Lithuania. The Government is prepared to work together with you as one team for
the sake of Lithuanian people,” said Prime Minister Butkevičius in his
congratulatory speech.
President
of the Constitutional Court, Dainius Žalimas, wished the President further
success in fulfilling her duties while building a strong and modern state of
Lithuania, enhancing its profile in the international community,
conscientiously serving her homeland, democracy and wellbeing of the people of
Lithuania, enforcing the fundamentals of human rights and the rule of law. “May
I wish you strength and success in executing the honourable duties of your
office as the Head of State,” said the President of the Constitutional Court
after accepting the presidential oath.
In her
inaugural address at the end of the sitting Dalia Grybauskaitė stressed that to
her leading the country meant protecting the interests of the Lithuanian people
across all fields. “My objective is to bring honest, professional and responsible
people together for a common goal – to make Lithuania stronger. Together let us
seek new avenues and solutions to ensure the well-being of the people of
Lithuania,” said the Head of State.
She noted
that the challenges ahead were clear. “Lithuania’s military, energy and
information security is the greatest concern for us all. We must be properly
prepared to defend our country because only if we are free and secure can we
create a welfare state,” stressed the President.
In her
view, the second presidential term will also focus on solutions to improve
individual life quality and reduce social exclusion. “Economic growth must be
translated into jobs and adequate income for a dignified life. We are a mature
society, so let us take care of those who are the most vulnerable so that not a
single person is abandoned to fate. Too-expensive health care, education and
utilities, heating poverty and predatory energy prices should not drive us to
despair. There are solutions. We are already on track – now we must make the
best use of them,” said Dalia Grybauskaitė.
The Head
of State also emphasised the need for stronger fight against corruption,
justice for sale and illegal persecution.
Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department,
tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: rimas.rudaitis@lrs.lt
