Speeches

2013-05-28 Opening remarks by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at the Estonian-Lithuanian Business Forum

Your Excellency Mr. President, Distinguished Ministers, Dear Business Representatives, If business is the engine of every economy, this forum has the best of the engines in Europe at the moment. Because our businesses make our economies grow fastest in the EU. The fact that the actual Estonian business delegation outnumbers the official one clearly demonstrates the solid interest and great prospects of our trade relations. We choose to invest in each other's countries before any other market. We remain key partners in trade. It shows we simply cleverly use our proximity to own advantage.

2013-05-27 Toast Remarks by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at State Dinner in Honor of H. E. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, and Mrs. Evelin Ilves

Your Excellency Mr. President, Madam Evelin Ilves, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted at the opportunity to welcome you most warmly in Lithuania. This is a very special year. Both Lithuania and Estonia are marking the 95th anniversary of the restoration of their independence. On February 16, 1918, the Council of Lithuania signed the Declaration of Independence proclaiming the restoration of an independent and democratic state, with Vilnius as capital. A week later, the Estonian Salvation Committee proclaimed the Estonian Declaration of Independence in Pärnu on 23 February 1918.

2013-05-18 Speech by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at Georgetown University

Dear Professors, dear Students, dear Guests, thank you for a very generous introduction. And thank you for the honorable degree. Georgetown University was an extremely important stage in my life. My office in Vilnius overlooks the beautiful campus of Vilnius University. Vilnius University was founded in the 16th century by the Jesuits, like Georgetown. I remember when 21 years ago I first came to Georgetown for the Pew Economic Freedom Fellows program. Travelling from the newly independent Lithuania, still via Moscow, and still unsure whether they will let us go.

2013-05-18 Georgetown University Citation for President Dalia Grybauskaitė delivered by Professor Angela Stent

Georgetown shares with Lithuania two important connections: the game of basketball and today's honoree, Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuania's President and a 1992 Economics Fellow at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service - and in earlier years herself quite a basketball player. Lithuania's first female head of state was elected to the Presidency in 2009 by an historic landslide, receiving more than 68% of the vote. This stunning victory capped a remarkable career of public service that, over two decades, moved from Director of the Economic Relations to Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Deputy Finance and Deputy Foreign Minister, to Finance Minister, to EU Budget Commissioner to President.

2013-05-14 Toast Remarks by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at State Dinner in Honour of H.E. Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland

Your Excellency Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I sincerely welcome you on your visit to Lithuania. Finland is not only a geographically close neighbour of Lithuania, but also its reliable, long-standing partner and friend. I greatly appreciate Finland's stance during the Cold War not to recognize the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States regardless of the circumstances and extreme pressure to do so.

2013-05-09 Speech by Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at the official award ceremony of the International Charlemagne Prize

I would like to thank the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, for his kind words and to express my strong belief that the role of the European Parliament in developing the vision and daily life of Europe is very special and important.

2013-05-09 Speech in honour of Dr Dalia Grybauskaite, President of the Republic of Lithuania, on the occasion of the award of the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, on 9 May 2013, by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament

Mr Philipp, Mayor [of the City of Aachen] Dr Linden, [Speaker of the Board of Directors of the Charlemagne Prize] President Grybauskaite, Holders of the Charlemagne Prize, Winners of the Charlemagne Youth Prize, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is an honour and a pleasure for me to speak today in this venerable place in praise of the achievements of an extraordinary European and outstanding political figure, Dr Dalia Grybauskaite, President of the Republic of Lithuania.

2013-04-29 Remarks by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at a roundtable on business integrity (OECD)

Good reputation and trust are the most important assets in both politics and business. It is only by creating an environment where it pays to be honest and maintain higher moral standards that we can achieve progress and ensure public well-being.

2013-04-18 Opening remarks by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at the LOGIN 2013 conference

The LOGIN community, with its participants, today becomes a solid entity - an entity that could shape the future of our modern country. Lithuania stands on a huge reserve of resources. Resources that can define the wealth of a country the same way crude oil does.

2013-04-04 Welcome Address by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at the Turkey-Lithuania Business Forum

It is my great pleasure and privilege to welcome you to the Lithuanian-Turkish business forum. I believe that this visit, Mr. President, as well as the contacts and discussions here in the business forum will be an additional breakthrough towards a stronger dialogue beneficial to our countries and societies.