Courtesy of the Baltic Course
June 4, 2015
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite started her first State of the Nation Address of her second term of office speaking about external and domestic threats to safety of Lithuania and Europe, informs LETA/ELTA.
The president stressed that in the light of geopolitical threats, not only political opponents but also representatives of people with different nationalities residing in Lithuania got united for the sake of Lithuania.
She stressed the contribution of ethnic minorities and their loyalty to Lithuania.
“A Polish volunteer at the Riflemen’s Union is fighting against Russian propaganda in social networks online. Reporters of the radio stations Russkoje Radio and Znad Wilii help their listeners to tell the truth from a lie. These are the most beautiful examples of the understanding of one’s civic duty and loyalty to the state,” she said.
Speaking about the situation in the world, Grybauskaite stressed that the current geopolitical environment is not safe for the world, Europe, and Lithuania because they are threatened not only by the events in Ukraine but also by the global terrorism, armed and humanitarian conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.
“We are members of the international community and we cannot remain observers. Silently watching people getting killed means contributing to that crime,” she said at the Seimas.
President Grybauskaite, in her first State of the Nation Address of her second term of office, stressed that today Lithuania is valued for direct speaking, support, and its responsible attitude.
“Lithuania has not only independently freed itself from the energetic yoke by building its own liquefied natural gas terminal and energy links. We also dared to initiate an investigation into Gazprom’s abuse of its dominant position in the gas marker. The European Commission helped to investigate potential breaches in as many as eight different countries where unfair prices were applied and free trade in gas was restricted,” she said.
The president noted that Lithuania managed to convince the European Council that disinformation is poisoning the minds of all Europeans. Therefore, the European Commission is taking actions to protect the information space and counter the aggressive propaganda.
“By encouraging Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, defending their sovereignty, helping the countries of the Eastern Partnership to implement the rule of law reforms, we gradually create a ring of security and democracy around Lithuania,” the president said in her speech at the Seimas.
