Press release, 10 March 2015
Distinguished guests and participants of the international parliamentary meeting of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy,
May I welcome you to Vilnius and to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.
We are deeply saddened that one of our designated speakers, Boris Nemcov, Russian Opposition Leader, is tragically no longer with us. Let us observe a minute of silence in tribute to this driven personality and bold fighter who was uniting people and urging them to fight for dignity, justice and self-determination.
Thank you.
It is very symbolic that we have gathered on the eve of the 11th of March. Tomorrow, Lithuania will mark a wonderful jubilee the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanias independence. The Act of 11 of March was the choice of a mature and conscious nation.
Neither time, nor the years of occupation, nor continuous efforts to erase the memory of the nation were able to suppress the determination, spiritual strength and aspiration to freedom of the nation. Freedom was imperative for the existence of our nation; it was the nations essence of existence and the only possible way forward. Freedom became stronger than fear of any sorts of violence or fear of death. This was the victory of our nation. It gave us an historical opportunity to return to Europe that is rooted in the principles of freedom, democracy, equality and solidarity.
Today, Lithuania is an active and respected member of the international community of democratic countries. What is also important is that at this difficult period of time, Lithuania is among the leading countries to demonstrate its expressed and solid position against any kinds of violence restraining the inherent human right to freedom.
We are currently facing a difficult geopolitical situation; therefore, the subjects to be discussed within this international parliamentary forum are particularly relevant. The subjects you will cover today are no longer theoretical. They have become a reality which is very close to us. We constantly observe the sufferings of nations struggling for their right to freedom, not to mention the persistent and at times absurd attempts to rewrite the history of countries, no-rules fights for power or even open military actions, or the rising radical movements and horrible acts of terrorism.
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania is proud to be able to contribute to the meaningful activities of the international Parliamentary Forum for Democracy. There is no doubt that the entire international democratic community must take concerted efforts. We all have to seek to change the current situation, by all means and powers vested in us, in order to avoid repetition of the painful lessons of history. Allow me to wish you the best of luck in continuing the successful strengthening of the role of parliaments as key state institutions as well as in promoting as widely as possible the principles of democracy and democratic values.
Thank you.
