State of the Nation Address by Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania

June 5, 2025

Dear People of Lithuania,

Esteemed Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

Distinguished Members of the Seimas,

It is a great honor to deliver the annual address before you for the sixth time. This is the first time I do so in my second term as President of the Republic of Lithuania.

The past period has been challenging for all of us. The war in Ukraine has entered its fourth year, reminding us how fragile freedom is and how much we must do to preserve it.

In recent years, we have steadily strengthened the Lithuanian state by reducing poverty and addressing social and regional exclusion. We have reinforced the judiciary, the prosecutor’s office and the entire civil service. We have secured energy independence. By advancing economic diplomacy and promoting higher value-added products, we have consistently grown our national economy.

Most importantly, we have finally begun to invest properly in national defense. Not just through words, but through actions, we have demonstrated that the security of our state and its people is a top priority.

I know very well – the people of Lithuania do not want war. We want peace, stability and security. That is precisely why we must strengthen our national defense and contribute to the effectiveness of NATO’s collective defense.

We have taken the first steps towards establishing a national division – the backbone of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. In the State Defense Council, we made the decision to allocate no less than 5 percent of GDP to defense by 2030. We have significantly bolstered deterrence by securing the long-term deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania.

However, now is not the time to pause. We cannot ignore the rapid changes unfolding beyond our borders.

We live in a time of wars and the swift erosion of international norms. The number of democracy’s allies is shrinking, while its adversaries are on the rise. Calls to return to the supposedly better days of the past are growing ever louder.

Today I must say: this is not Lithuania’s path. A nation that has endured and suffered much throughout its history, Lithuania does not look back or over its shoulder.

Lithuania – all of us – must not only look forward but also move forward.

Alone, we cannot change global developments. But with well-considered decisions, we can shape our own destiny. We must contribute to the security of Europe and the world. We must create a future world where the coming generations of Lithuania’s people will find their place.

How can we not recall the words of one of the most prominent Lithuanian politicians of the interwar period, Ernestas Galvanauskas: “Our life is tied to the future. Nothing carries as much meaning as the future. We seek to create a future for our nation; therefore, we cannot forget the past – our defense, our blood, our language, and our land. If we defend our nation, we are defending our tomorrow, not our yesterday.”

In today’s new geopolitical reality, our country faces a special task. Just as we did many centuries ago, we once again stand guard of the Western world. We are a fortress, beyond whose walls, unfortunately, civilized Europe ends.

In this fortress – our Lithuania – we need even stronger walls, a more united population, a larger well-trained army, and modern weaponry. We need reliable allies who will come to our aid when needed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, there is no alternative to NATO. The military capabilities of our allies – including the U.S. nuclear umbrella – and the unwavering commitment of collective defense “one for all, all for one” form the foundation of our security.

We greatly value the contribution of the United States. We welcome the decision made by President Donald Trump during his first term to deploy a battalion-sized force in Lithuania. We are interested in hosting even more American troops.

At the NATO Summit in Vilnius two years ago, we approved new-generation regional defense plans based on the principle of strong forward defense. These plans must now be promptly filled with the missing capabilities. The Alliance’s forward defense must operate precisely and reliably.

I will soon be travelling to the NATO Summit in The Hague, where, I believe, the commitment to transatlantic unity and collective defense will once again be reaffirmed. I will seek agreement on increased defense funding, which is crucial not only for the future of Lithuania, but also for the future of the entire Alliance. A solid foundation for this was laid at the recent meeting of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders in Vilnius.

In the near future, European nations will have to take on greater responsibility for the continent’s security. The rapid growth of Europe’s military capabilities is important for all of us. It will also help strengthen mutual trust with our key transatlantic ally – the United States of America.

Only fair burden-sharing will help to preserve stability and, at the same time, protect the values we hold dear throughout the world.

When Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, Europe awoke to a new reality. Today, it increasingly recognizes its most important mission: to firmly defend freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. To defend them with principle, to defend them globally and to defend them with all our strength.

Europe cannot be reduced to a passive object of history. It must renew itself and take urgent action with fresh resolve – above all, by strengthening defense and security, but also by boosting its competitiveness and creating the conditions for long-term prosperity and the well-being of its people. New European Commission initiatives, such as Preparedness 2030, are an important step in strengthening the collective power of our Union.

Lithuania’s task is to ensure that Europe does not slip into illusions. We must uphold a common values-based direction and maintain strong transatlantic ties. We must lead by example. After all, who else – if not us – should be most concerned about the security of our region and of Europe as a whole? How many Western countries assess the fragile situation in our region as realistically or know Russia as well as we do?

Today, it is no longer enough to say that Europe is unable, unwilling or unsure how to act. We must first significantly increase our own defense spending – only then can we demand the same from others. We must develop our military-industrial capabilities – only then can we demand the same from others. We must learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine, adopt and apply new concepts of warfare – and only then demand the same from others.

It is in Ukraine that the foundations of a new Europe are being laid today. Ukrainian soldiers, including Lithuanian volunteers, are fighting for the freedom we all share. The will of the Ukrainians to resist protects us here in Lithuania.

Russia seeks to break that will at any cost. Brutal attacks on civilians, the killing of women and children – are not accidents. Russia did this yesterday, is doing it today and will do it tomorrow. If not stopped, it will spread death beyond Ukraine’s borders.

That is why one of Lithuania’s most important foreign policy priorities is comprehensive aid for Ukraine. We will support Ukraine for as long as it takes – until victory, which includes the return of all occupied territories.

Lithuania stands for a just and sustainable peace agreement that ensures Ukraine’s long-term security. Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the freedom of its people cannot be subjects of negotiation.

We seek the earliest possible start of negotiations on the membership of Ukraine and Moldova in the European Union, along with credible security guarantees. Given Kyiv’s success in implementing reforms under wartime conditions, I have proposed setting a clear goal for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union by 2030. I believe we will make significant progress on this path as early as 2027, when Lithuania assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

I am confident that as we strengthen our state, we will continue to rely on our strong partnership with Poland. I said this recently during my with close friend, the outgoing President of Poland, Andrzej Duda. I also emphasized it to the President-elect of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.

Our countries share many common interests in the fields of security, infrastructure development and the economy. Together, we work within the framework of the Three Seas Initiative, developing defense cooperation and reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank. The painful lessons of history help us communicate in a world that is increasingly losing its grip on common sense.

We are aligned in our outlook with Latvia and Estonia and cooperate closely with the Nordic countries. Together, we share responsibility for the Baltic Sea and are committed to protecting its critical infrastructure. The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO has further expanded our capabilities.

In recent years, Germany has established itself as a strategic long-term partner of Lithuania. This is a change of historic significance, a true Zeitenwende.

Already in 2027, we will host a permanently deployed German Bundeswehr brigade. We must timely establish and expand the necessary military and training range infrastructure – a matter of vital importance for our state. Even earlier, in 2026, a Rheinmetall factory will be built in Lithuania, reflecting Germany’s ambition to rapidly develop the defense industry across Europe.

We have also established strong ties with France. We support Paris’ efforts to unite European countries for joint defense, and we are forging increasingly close business and cultural connections.

We actively participate in the coalition of the willing launched by France and the United Kingdom to assist Ukraine. We will continue to support European security and defense initiatives within the NATO framework.

Lithuania’s long-term strategic interest is to strengthen cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union across all areas, but primarily in security. The United Kingdom plays a critical role in the Joint Expeditionary Force, which stands ready to respond swiftly and effectively to Russia’s aggressive actions in the Baltic Sea region if necessary.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The wide range of external challenges we face also defines the agenda for future work here in Lithuania. Everything else can quickly lose its meaning if we turn a blind eye to national security and defense.

We are moving in the right direction by increasing investments in our security. We have a clear plan that outlines what needs to be done and how to do it. As we build a national division, we must expand the professional military service and train the reserve. Major acquisitions of military equipment are essential not only to ensure the defense of every centimeter of Lithuania’s territory, but also to contribute to effective deterrence.

We have rapidly constructed and opened new military towns in Vilnius, Šilalė and Šiauliai. The development of the Rūdininkai military town designated for the German brigade is progressing. In the future, both our and allied soldiers will require even more purpose-built infrastructure, including military training grounds.

By withdrawing from conventions banning cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines, we will be able to better prepare to defend our state borders and deter an adversary who has never respected international norms and conventions.

Total state defense will not be effective without the involvement of citizens. We must therefore give greater attention to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, strengthen the system of commandant offices and improve the mobilization system. Each of us must know our role in a crisis. I want to emphasize: every Lithuanian citizen matters, regardless of the language they speak at home. For generations, Lithuania’s prosperity has been built shoulder to shoulder by people of various nationalities. And it will continue this way – we will stand united, solving problems and sharing the fruits of our labor together.

All these efforts will require a solid financial foundation. The good news is that economic growth will enable us to allocate increasing resources for defense. For several years now, we have remained among the leaders in the European Union in this area.

In the future, our economy will be further boosted by investments in the domestic defense industry. It is particularly important to leverage our existing expertise in high technology. We must produce not only more ammunition, but also sensors, lasers and unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine has already demonstrated that transitioning to domestic drone production can yield excellent results at relatively low cost.

Economic diplomacy opens new prospects for our country’s business sector. In a few days, I will be traveling to Japan and Vietnam with delegations from Lithuania’s business and scientific communities. There, we will sign important agreements on cooperation in innovation, industry, energy, transport, agriculture, finance, and research.

Sometimes all the business community needs is a sincere and open dialogue with state institutions, along with simpler, more stable and clearer rules. Less administrative burden. I invite everyone to address this not only with words, but with concrete actions.

At the same time, it is already clear that income generated solely from economic growth will not be sufficient. We will need to borrow and seek additional sources of revenue that do not place an unbearable burden on the country’s residents and businesses.

Immediately after the decision to rapidly increase defense spending, I made a concrete proposal – to expand profit contributions by the Bank of Lithuania to the state budget, allocating a significant portion of these funds to the newly established State Defense Fund. If approved by the Seimas, the fund will receive an additional 116 million euros this year alone.

I am confident that we can identify more measures to raise additional budget revenues. We can increase the gross domestic product by activating people’s savings through the national development bank ILTE, offering attractive interest rates on deposits to stimulate investment. A positive effect on the national economy could also be achieved by directing a larger share of the assets from cumulative pension funds to Lithuania.

Changes in the tax system prepared by the Government must become an important step in securing the financing of public services.

Their success, however, will depend on several key factors.

First, when the state turns to the people, it should also take a critical look at itself. How much money is simply going up in smoke? How much do we overpay for goods and services in public procurement? How much is wasted on so-called qualification upgrades that end up as banal parties or idle retreats?

People are justifiably indignant and demand that the government start with itself, saving every euro of taxpayers’ money.

Second, it is vital to ensure that tax changes do not significantly affect consumption and investment. Otherwise, we risk stifling economic growth, which generates additional revenue. This is an economic axiom.

Therefore, I support the idea of focusing on more progressive income taxation but doing so moderately and without going too far.

To support economic growth, I propose more closely linking the amounts collected in the Defense Fund with the promotion of the domestic defense industry.

While implementing the tax reform, it is essential to maintain a balance between social and economic policy needs. We will certainly not become more secure by replacing butter with cannons – only increasing poverty and social exclusion. Therefore, the tax changes prepared by the Government and approved by the Seimas must also help to reduce income inequality.

The most vulnerable groups in society have recently expressed legitimate concerns about the growing risk of poverty. Rapidly rising living costs, especially housing expenses, are placing increasing pressure on lower income earners.

I have proposed reducing the personal income tax burden for employed and self-employed parents, and I urge that this be adopted alongside the Government’s tax changes. It would provide meaningful support to Lithuanian families – the backbone of our society.

I also propose allocating no less than 20 percent of the planned surplus in the Sodra budget to the indexation of the individual pension component. According to Sodra’s forecasts, this would result in at least 90 million euros more for pensions compared to this year, while the Sodra reserve would continue to grow, although at a more moderate pace. We need a more sustainable social insurance system that better meets public expectations and is less dependent on political decision-making.

Political decisions are truly unavoidable when it comes to reforming the second pension pillar. The Constitutional Court has clearly stated that legislators have a duty to make necessary adjustments. Since the previous Government lacked the political will, it has fallen to the current ruling majority to take action.

The second pension pillar must be more flexible and attractive, while also remaining sustainable. While temporarily allowing contributors to withdraw, we must simultaneously ensure incentives for them to stay. Trust has certainly not been increased so far by the fact that pension accumulation resembled a barbed-wire enclosure with no exit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If we had to highlight one area in which Lithuania has made the most progress over the past decade, it would be energy.

I am pleased to note that we have truly achieved a great deal in making Lithuania’s energy system resilient. In this field, we serve as an example for all of Europe, which is gradually breaking free from Russian blackmail.

It is symbolic that the Klaipėda LNG storage vessel Independence became the property of Lithuania at the end of last year.

Just a few months later, we successfully completed the synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity grids with continental Europe, firmly securing Lithuania’s energy independence.

Today, having severed the last energy ties with Russia, we are free to further strengthen our energy sector. We must rapidly develop renewable energy sources, ensure full domestic electricity production by 2028, and move forward with the Harmony Link project together with Poland. Looking further ahead, we must begin a well-informed discussion about small nuclear reactors, which could help ensure greater stability in electricity generation.

Transport connectivity is also becoming increasingly important. This year, we will be connected to Poland and Western Europe via the Via Baltica highway. Construction of the Rail Baltica European-gauge railway is also gaining momentum. We must continue to work consistently, expanding the mobility of people, business and the military along the North-South axis. Disconnection from Russia must extend to the rail sector as well.

There is still a great deal of work to be done. It is unacceptable that most roads in Lithuania fail to meet even the minimum technical requirements. I hear about their deplorable condition in many municipalities.

I am glad that the Seimas approved my proposals to increase funding for municipal roads and give local authorities greater responsibility for roads in cities and towns.

The new national Road Fund currently in the making should ensure increased funding for roads. However, nothing will change if it exists merely on paper, with the same insufficient euros being shifted from one pocket to another instead of being based on sustainable, additional sources of funding.

The amendments I submitted to the Law on Transport Privileges, which were adopted by the Seimas, will improve conditions for children, pensioners and families traveling by intercity public transport. Today, it is essential to ensure that both regional and intercity transport options are sufficiently available.

I look forward to more initiatives from the Government, Members of the Seimas and local municipalities aimed at improving public transport accessibility across Lithuania.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For a long time, the high level of centralization in Lithuania was driven by mutual distrust between the central government and municipalities, leading to poorly planned and inefficiently implemented decisions.

During every election and in every new government program, promises were made to local authorities and regions. Yet, these promises would evaporate over the course of the term. What we saw were isolated actions in specific areas, rather than a comprehensive set of measures tailored to the diverse needs of the regions.

Sectoral reforms carried out by individual ministries and subordinate institutions often conflicted with one another. The impact of austerity policies on regional development was not properly assessed. Services grew increasingly distant from the people. The planning and investment of billions from the European Union funds intended for the regions were ineffective.

Still, I see that regional policy and self-government issues have been receiving more attention in recent years. Representatives at different levels of government are now engaging in more active communication. Politicians have finally turned to the regions and begun to work actively within them.

Trust is being restored step by step – and is further strengthened by legislative proposals.

I am proud of everyone who has contributed to expanding the local government’s ability to borrow, manage state land and maintain roads important to local residents. We must keep moving forward – and faster!

I believe in the idea of a Ministry for the Regions as a tool for sustainable and balanced regional development – an idea I proposed at the last Forum of the Regions.

The Government’s determination to take concrete steps in shaping regional policy gives hope that we can seize what may be our last opportunity to significantly reduce regional exclusion. We must invest the European Union’s support by listening to and responding to the needs of local communities, businesses and non-governmental organizations. In the next multiannual financial framework, cohesion funds must be invested with prudence and transparency.

As the new ministry is established and responsibilities are redistributed, the primary focus must remain on granting greater autonomy to local self-government. It is essential to ensure that mayors, together with municipal councils, have greater decision-making authority and the necessary resources to implement them. We must also encourage regional cooperation and strengthen regional development councils.

Maintaining the vitality of our regions requires a collective effort. We must actively encourage investment and support small businesses, crafts and family farms. We need to ensure food security, shorten supply chains and grow more food here in Lithuania.

It is important to secure better competitive conditions for Lithuanian farmers in the upcoming European Union multiannual financial framework, as well as to increase the added value of our agriculture – a sector of strategic importance. Bringing direct payments closer to the EU average is a matter of honor for politicians, myself including. We must also uphold our commitment to preserving a green Lithuania for future generations.

Most importantly, we must show all the people of Lithuania that their voices are heard and respected. They should feel the positive impact of change and see improved access to public services – not just in the largest cities, but everywhere.

Unfortunately, until now, we have often seen the opposite. This is most evident in education, healthcare and culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

While working in various regions of Lithuania, I have often heard concerned voices about the threat of school closures due to low student numbers in individual classes.

I understand that, as some schools see declining enrolment, difficult decisions sometimes must be made. However, rigid adherence to rules also pose a threat to schools that are sufficiently large and operate successfully.

Education – one of the most essential public services – cannot be measured by accounting principles alone. Quality, accessible education is a promise to Lithuanian families that the state will support them in raising their children. This is especially important in the regions seeking to attract and retain young families with children.

The Law on Education assigns municipalities the responsibility to manage the school network in a way that is both optimal and ensures educational quality. Let us empower them to do this! Let us stop micromanaging class sizes from Vilnius.

Overall, it seems that through constant reforms, we have lost our direction in education. We have scattered the intellectual potential of our education policy. Political decisions are made without grounding them in scientific evidence or listening to what the education community has to say. The primary goal has shifted – from nurturing young creative individuals who are able of building personal well-being, demonstrating solidarity with their communities and showing loyalty to their country – to reforming for the sake of reform. Only petty political dividends are pursued.

Teachers have been pushed to the margins of decision-making. From the bureaucratic tower, they are seen merely as executors – expected to be humble and obedient.

This cannot continue.

Without quality education, there is no future for Lithuania. Education is the driving force of national progress. It must reduce social exclusion, not deepen it. We cannot allow students to become mere funding numbers in a commercialized education system, nor can we let teachers and lecturers to be treated only as “human resources.”

Lithuania needs creative teachers. Free individuals, because only a free person can nurture a free person. Let us trust our teachers – they are professionals building a bright future for Lithuania!

In the long term, higher education will play an increasingly important role in Lithuania’s progress. We must promote scientific research and innovation, modernize study programs and ensure smoother collaboration among the ecosystems of science, business and innovation.

As artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly influential across all fields, we must find ways to help Lithuania’s residents more easily change their professional qualifications and enhance personal competencies through both formal and non-formal education.

Looking to the future, we must also do more to engage schoolchildren in science and technology. High-quality non-formal education must reach every child in Lithuania. By ensuring extracurricular activities, we will enable young people to develop their full potential. This will also support another critical effort – our fight for freedom from drugs and other addictions!

So far, physical activity among Lithuanian children remains insufficient. This has devastating consequences not only for the health of young people but also their academic performance. We must therefore take targeted action to support sports and encourage physical activity – not just among children, but across the wider population. The focus should be on robust nationwide physical education programs for children, rather than scattered initiatives.

Today, we see that an artificially created bureaucratic institution responsible for distributing sports funding lacks flexibility and has failed to solve the problems of coordinating sports organizations or ensuring the smooth implementation of sports policies. Sports officials have become disconnected – light-years away from sports. If something is not working, perhaps it is time for change?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

An unhealthy lifestyle and lack of physical activity lead directly to many health problems.

Where prevention fails, doctors must intervene – sometimes too late. The price is paid not only by patients and their families but also by the state.

We must find concrete solutions to reduce waiting lines for medical appointments. There has been much talk about cutting excessive bureaucracy in healthcare – now it is time to deliver concrete results!

We must prioritize reducing health inequality. All residents of Lithuania must receive adequate medical services, regardless of where they live. The most advanced diagnostics and treatment – delivered by highly qualified doctors and experienced nurses – must reach every region of the country.

We are still losing the national fight against heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other serious illnesses. As long as we cannot ensure accessible public health services, more and more people in Lithuania feel compelled to turn to private healthcare providers. But what about those who cannot afford to pay?

What I truly could not agree with was the rushed decision by the previous Seimas to allow institutions outside the national health system to issue referrals to specialists. I vetoed the amendments that risked destabilizing the entire national health system, particularly in terms of resource planning and fair distribution.

A significant step forward was reforming the activities of the Commission for Rare Diseases, giving doctors and patients a stronger voice. We have finally begun reimbursing medications for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. We must continue to improve access to innovative therapies and new medicines.

Expanding outpatient services in the regions can also help reduce disparities in healthcare. In a rapidly aging society, it is essential to address nursing and long-term care challenges.

Expectations for the Ministry of Health are high. But the potential benefits are even greater. This Government has an opportunity to implement historic changes whose positive impact would be felt by many people across the country.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Year after year, the ruling majority – regardless of party affiliation – promises the people and businesses of Lithuania higher-quality legislation. Yet we are still waiting. The more laws are passed hastily and carelessly, the more mistakes are made. The greater the need to correct them.

In other cases, we see the opposite: decisions are deliberately delayed, becoming the backdrop for endless political drama. Gaps and loopholes left behind create an inexhaustible source of confusion. They weaken the state and foster doubts in the very concept of justice.

The Constitutional Court has recently made a clear statement on partnership. Despite making much noise about ambitious projects, the previous Seimas ultimately delivered nothing. This Seimas must finally make a decision that reflects the expectations of society. The people of Lithuania should not have to wear down courtroom doorsteps to claim their rights.

Our courts today have many other pressing tasks. Only they can ensure that justice in Lithuania is not just an empty word. Only they can decide whether the accused have broken the law and must be held accountable for the crimes they are charged with.

I am pleased to note that Lithuania’s courts have grown significantly stronger in recent years. More and more young, highly qualified and reputable lawyers are joining the judiciary. However, the problem of disproportionately low salaries of judicial assistants and other court staff remains unresolved.

What is most disappointing is when decisions made by the nation’s elected members of the Seimas become obstacles to justice. Despite all the promises of the new ruling majority – despite even the coalition agreement – the Seimas has once again stepped on the same rake, failing to lift the legal immunity of a member of parliament under pre-trial investigation.

Lithuania’s political system has failed yet another test of morality – and of basic decency. Those responsible should take a hard look in the mirror and reflect on what they are doing in parliament, and whether they are truly capable of honoring the trust placed in them by voters.

When putting on the mantle of a politician, one should carefully reconsider their involvement in business multiple times. Otherwise, unresolved business-related issues will continually undermine the best initiatives and fuel conflicts rooted in both justified and unjustified suspicions.

Victory in elections grants a politician a credit of trust from the people – a credit secured by the nation’s respect for the state and its institutions. A credit that is too easy to squander. Unfortunately, time and again, as we watch the first steps of new election winners, we see that trust being wasted. Sometimes out of ill will, but more often due to a failure to understand the burden of responsibility that falls on a politician.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Throughout its long history, Lithuania has been strongest in those moments when it was able to unite and confront threats together. Conversely, we have been most vulnerable when the needs of society receded into the background, giving way to the pursuit of personal gain.

We are neither large nor numerous enough to weather the storms of history each on our own, without relying on one another.

We are all in the same boat. We all want a cleaner, healthier and safer environment. Each of us works for the good of our Homeland so that together we are stronger, safer and more prosperous.

Just like the communities of ordinary – yet truly extraordinary – people, brought together by the Power of Lithuania initiative. I am proud of those who work every day to make Lithuania a better, more comfortable and more enjoyable place to live.

In the end, it all comes down to love for the Homeland. We cannot know personally every single person in Lithuania, but we do know very well what Lithuania is. And in that knowledge lies our love and our commitment to every fellow citizen.

The essential source of our shared identity, civic unity and national strength is Lithuanian culture. Deeply infused with the most beautiful tradition of freedom, it transcends ethnic roots – from which it grows and draws strength – to unite all people of Lithuania, regardless of origin, faith or political beliefs.

Our daily choices are shaped by what we say about Lithuania and how we say it. We learn from our mistakes, celebrate our achievements and pass on values to future generations.

It is not surprising that hostile forces constantly try to interfere with this narrative. We see more and more attempts to manipulate, lie and even justify crimes against humanity. Not only on social networks, in newspapers, on television and radio, but also within each of our minds, a constant struggle between good and evil takes place.

We have already seen examples, including in Europe, where foreign interference becomes a decisive factor in election outcomes. We cannot allow this to happen in Lithuania.

Unfriendly countries seek to rewrite our history in order to shape our future. Only by blocking such attempts, by safeguarding our historical memory and passing it on to the next generation can we build a patriotic Lithuania, ready to defend our homeland. Otherwise, we risk drifting helplessly among various pseudo-claims, such as the assertion by a failed 19th-century Russian historian that the names of our rivers – the Nemunas, Neris, Dubysa, Nevėžis, and others – are supposedly of Slavic origin.

You can truly feel the power of history in Šimkaičiai, at the bunker headquarters of General Jonas Žemaitis. I don’t know how many of you have descended through that narrow hatch into the cold and damp underground space. For me, it was a profoundly physical experience of the determination, fearlessness and love of Lithuania that drove our partisans forward – ready to sacrifice everything for their Homeland.

The fact that this headquarters is maintained almost entirely through the initiative of local communities and self-government tells us two important things: how little the state has done so far to nurture its own history, and how much is accomplished by people who do not see history as merely the past, but as a foundation for the future.

As a nation, we must honor our debts to history. One such debt is the commemoration of the first President of the Republic of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona, in Vilnius. I am pleased that the capital’s municipality has finally initiated this process, and I invite Lithuanian creators to participate actively in the artistic competition for the monument.

We must cherish and protect the truth. We must fight for it, drawing on knowledge of our culture, history and ancestral legacy. Culture is a powerful force in fostering citizenship – and in strengthening the resilience of our society and the national security of our state.

Let Lithuania be known worldwide as a cultured nation with much to offer. A forward post of European democracy and Western civilization.

I am pleased that the Lithuanian Season in France last year became a shared success for all of us. We opened Lithuania to the French – and France to Lithuanians. We showcased world-class creators. Let us draw inspiration from this success as we prepare Lithuania’s cultural programs in Italy and Germany. Cultural diplomacy can sometimes be more powerful than traditional diplomacy.

Let us boldly forge cultural, political, and – most importantly – emotional connections that are so needed today. Let us seek and discover more of Europe within ourselves. May the year dedicated to the great Lithuanian artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis become yet another opportunity to show the uniqueness of Lithuanian culture to the world! Let us not forget our lituanistic schools abroad – true islands of national identity. By nurturing them, we ensure that future generations of the new diaspora will contribute even more to the growth of the Lithuanian state.

As we look outward to the world, let’s not neglect what is around us. How many of us, for instance, know about the existence of Lithuanian sign language literature? A remarkable form of expression that recently became part of the Poetry Spring festival. Yet, our public space is flooded with endless stories about the travels and scandals of this or that “trending person”– rather than focusing on what truly deserves attention. It seems that, with our headphones on, hoods up, and eyes glued to our phone screens, we do not see, hear or know our own community.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I did not intend to give the impression that everything in Lithuania is bad – far from it. We have all achieved an incredible amount since the restoration of independence, since joining the European Union and NATO. As individuals, as families, as a nation.

But surely, we can do even more. Let us strive so that future generations, when reflecting on the events of the third decade of this century, will say: “What an impressive era of events and strength that was!”