Good evening, Honourable Madam Prime Minister!
Distinguished Ministers!
First of all, I would like to congratulate both Mrs Siliņa and each of you on assuming your very responsible duties. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Kariņš and the ministers of his government - some of whom are here and some of whom may be listening to us - for their work and contribution to the development and for the good of our country.
The public now expects all of us - the President, the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers - to work for the good of our country. Less disputes, more decisions. The society expects swift action to resolve many urgent issues, to strengthen our country's internal and external security, and to develop our national economy. Also, to resolve issues that are important to our people, whether it is electricity tariffs, loan payments, or health and education.
For my part, I would like to call on you to listen to civil servants, they give you advice, but to overcome the bureaucratic stagnation that we have unfortunately been stuck in over the last few years. Less process-driven, more results-based decisions. This is what our society expects from all of us.
Finally, my last wish for you as you start your work is to go out of your offices more, to go out of the city more, to meet with municipalities, with institutions in your sectors and with businesses, but also to meet with people. Because often what they say or ask is radically different from the documents and reports you see.
Once again, congratulations to you all. I wish you every success and I look forward to working closely together. It will not be easy, but I am sure that each one of you will work with full commitment and responsibility. If you do, the results will follow!
