Address by Saulius Skvernelis, Speaker of the Seimas, at the commemoration of the Day of Restoration of Independence of Lithuania

Press release, 11 March (News ● Photos ● Webcasts and videos)

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of Seimas

Your Excellency, President Gitanas Nausėda; President Valdas Adamkus; President Dalia Grybauskaitė; Honourable Prime Minister; Signatories to the 11 March Act of Independence of Lithuania; Leaders of the Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Finnish, Ukrainian, and Islandic Parliaments; ladies and gentlemen,

Today, we mark a significant 35th Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania.

On 11 March 1990, the decades-long fight of our nation for freedom reached its defining moment. On that day, our nation boldly and firmly expressed its wish to be free and independent.

We were indeed very fortunate because the restoration of our independence, which we are celebrating today, was achieved through parliamentary means rather than war. However, even this path to independence did not prevent the brutal final blows of the Soviet empire and the bloodshed of the historic events of 13 January. 

We can say with confidence that we achieved our dream 35 years ago and went on to live in peace. Indeed, we believed this would always be the case, taking freedom and independence for granted. However, the war in Ukraine that broke out three years ago showed how easily dreams can be shattered. 

This made us realise that freedom and independence call for daily vigilance and effort, and that we must maintain a constant guard over our freedom, ready to defend our state, just as we have proven capable of doing in the past. We must continue to stand united, as we did 35 years ago, in pursuit of the dream to break free from the grip of the Soviet empire.

We have come a long way as a country since the restoration of independence. We have raised a new generation of open-minded citizens holding democratic values and we have joined the European Union and NATO. We are raising Lithuania’s profile worldwide through the country’s achievements in culture and sports, science and smart high-tech solutions, and even in the space industry. This year, we finally broke the last ties of dependence on the aggressor. Together with the Baltic States, we are celebrating energy independence as a result. 

We seem to have done everything we needed to do.

And yet, today’s geopolitical context, the new challenges to democracies and the daily shifts in the positions of world leaders mean that we must cherish our freedom and be independent in every sense more than ever. Together with other European countries, we must be able to make our own decisions and ensure the security of our own countries.

Today, the main responsibility for our security falls primarily on us. We cannot delegate it to others. The events in Ukraine demonstrate how the main negotiating parties may not even be invited to the so-called peace talks, and how peace agreements are now turning into deals of sorts.

We need to learn from our own history, do our homework, and stop waiting for a great rescuer. We have to be so well-prepared that no aggressor would even dare to look in Lithuania’s direction.

Today is the time to come together and take decisions to ensure the security and defence for all of us.

The Act of 11 March is irrefutable proof that we are a nation of unbreakable spirit, courage, and unity, capable of fighting for our freedom.

Today, on the 35th Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania, we stand once again at the crossroads of historic decisions, continuing to create our history, reinforcing the foundations of our state, and demonstrating our fundamental values by supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom.

Today we are deciding not only our own future but also that of Europe as a whole. Therefore, let us not turn back halfway, let us not turn away from each other, and let us make sure that our future generations live in a modern, democratic, and free environment.

I would like to share with my colleagues, Members of the Seimas, a small excerpt from the oath that we all took when we placed our hand on the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania:

‘I swear to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania; (...) and to protect the integrity of its lands; I swear to strengthen, to the best of my ability, the independence of Lithuania, and to conscientiously serve my Homeland, democracy, and the welfare of the people of Lithuania.’

These are not empty words. I hope that everyone who has taken this oath is prepared to live by it every day and, if necessary, to defend our homeland, its freedom and independence.

Only in freedom can we grow truly great.

Congratulations on 11 March!