Good evening, Latvia!
Madam Speaker of the Saeima!
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Dear musicians, spectators and listeners!
It is a great pleasure for me to be here, on the stage of the Latvian National Theatre, to celebrate together the 106th anniversary of the proclamation of our country.
But at the same time, I would also like to be in Vidzeme. To have a little rowing challenge and take a boat trip down the Gauja river. To listen to Latvian songs echoing from people celebrating in their homes. In the end, I would be both freezing and warmed. Freezing because it is November. Warmed because I would hear Latvia.
At the same time, I would like to look at the endless plains of Zemgale. The fields, where the hard-working people of Zemgale make sure that we are fed not only today but also tomorrow.
Yet, I would also like to be in Sēlija, where people persistently remind us of themselves. In Sēlija where people live with their heads held high.
And I would also like to be in Latgale. Where the resilience of Latgalians forges links between the past and the future. Where we can learn a lot about the values and traditions of our ancestors. And where people discover opportunities.
At the same time, I would also like to be in Kurzeme. Where else can we learn the pride that many of us can desperately lack? But I would not stay proud for long. Most likely, my celebrations would end in Alsunga, where I would have to get used to the sharp tongue of the Suiti.
And the sunset? The sunset, of course, on the Livonian coast. On a global scale, the Baltic Sea is not large. But in Kolka and Mazirbe, people see the Great Sea. And I wish everyone to see the Great Latvia today and every day.
It seems that it is easier to appreciate the great, the beautiful and the beloved from a distance. I wish I could be in many places around the world where Latvians are proudly gathering to celebrate Latvia. These are people who long for their homeland. And these are the people we long for.
Tonight, I would like to be everywhere in Latvia. And yet, I am in Riga. It is what it is.
But here, at the Latvian National Theatre, I see you. And it feels wonderful to be here. You are great!
I am sure that you have your special places in Latvia where you would like to be right now. And we all have hundreds, even thousands of places in Latvia, where we feel loved and welcomed. Most importantly, we can go there anytime. No one can deny us that. We have the freedom to choose where, how, and with whom to be.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Last year, three young people delivered their presidential addresses from this stage. This year, we will also hear the speeches of three wonderful future presidents. Last year, Eliass Jānis Priedīts, a student at Aloja Auseklis Secondary School, emphasised that on 18 November we celebrate both Latvia's freedom and our own. We know when Latvia became free. Our own personal freedom, however, is a more complicated matter.
How does one describe a free individual in an independent and democratic republic?
Someone who is able to listen to the opinions of others. Someone who carries out their duties with integrity. Someone who seeks new solutions, rather than relying on the status quo. Someone who does not live in the past, but learns from it. Someone who sees the contributions of others, not their political affiliation, nationality or surname. Someone who is willing to decide, to make mistakes and to take responsibility for them. A free individual is willing to accept responsibility for mistakes, rather than dismissing criticism and questions as irrelevant or unnecessary.
And a free, democratic, independent country is the product of the attitude and work of free people.
Latvia's freedom is founded on our personal liberties and decisions. On our personal responsibilities. Because our freedom is our responsibility. Let us not look at responsibility as a burden, but as an opportunity to fulfil our dreams. And we must cherish this opportunity. If we do not protect our freedom, our country, there will be those seeking to take it away from us. And if freedom falls into the hands of others, then the responsibility simply disappears.
We are the only ones who must to take responsibility for Latvia. For our country. Because we are the only ones who care about making our dreams come true.
Friends!
I am happy for each of you who sees the beauty, strength and future of Latvia by looking into themselves. I am proud of everyone who does not helplessly float downstream, but rolls up their sleeves and makes Latvia greater. Just as the most precious gift for parents is the love of their children, so the best gift for Latvia is the love and efforts of its people. And I know that tonight, here and across Latvia, there is a great deal of pride in what we have achieved. And a lot of love.
God, bless Latvia!
