Speeches

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.

2013-04-03 Toast Remarks by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at State Dinner in Honour of H.E. Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey, and Mrs. Hayrünnisa Gül

Your Excellency Mr. President, Madam Hayrünnisa Gül, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to once again welcome you and members of the Turkish delegation here in Lithuania. Our countries enjoy long and excellent traditions of cooperation. Today it is evidenced by our bilateral relations and close dialogue within NATO, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

2013-03-31 Easter Greetings from President Dalia Grybauskaitė

Dear All, happy Easter to all of you as we celebrate the most beautiful spring holiday! The awakening nature and the returning birds give us hope and strength for new endeavors. Let us open our homes and our hearts to spring. Let us cherish what we have already accomplished and let us rejoice in the good and wonderful things that life has to offer. Let us help each other to understand, to persevere and to live.