Valsts prezidentes runa "Latvijas valstiskuma sardzē: Latvijas diplomātiskā un konsulārā dienesta darbinieki okupācijas gados trimdā no 1940.gada 17.jūnija līdz 1991.gada 21.augustam" izstādes atklāšanā Ārlietu ministrijas ēkā
Jūsu ekselence,
ministres kundze,
Jūsu ekselences,
ārvalstu vēstnieki,
Ārlietu ministrijas darbinieki,
Dāmas un kungi!
Es iesākumā vēlētos apsveikt Ārlietu ministriju un ārlietu ministri personīgi ar šīs izstādes ieceri un realizāciju. Tik tiešām caur šīs izstādes materiāliem Latvijas diplomāti, kas ilgus gadu desmitus turēja augstu neatkarīgās Latvijas idejas vārdu, simboliski atgriežas tajā valstī, kuru viņi pārstāvēja un tajā iestādē, kuras vārdā viņi rīkojās visus gadus par spīti tam, ka valsts, ko viņi pārstāvēja, jau sen vairs nepastāvēja de facto.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start out by congratulating Minsitry of foreign affairs and particularly Madame minister for the initiative of creating such an exibition in which at least simbolically we see here the return to their native land and to the institution in whose name they worked for so many long decades all those people who braught high the torch of belief in Latvia`s independence and in Latvi`s statehood.
I had a conversation just 2 days ago at the international forum on Genocide in Stockholm with a congressman from the United States who told me an anecdote of how many years ago when he had first got elected he received a visit from 3 persons each one of them representing one of the Baltic states, claiming to speak in their name and asking for continued support from the United States Congress to the idea of nonrecognition the incorporation, the anexation, the occupation of Baltic states into the Soviet Union. He said that he did not know much about it, that it was all news to him, and he sat there patiently listening to these persons make their case, he thaught to himself: “What an incredable trio of dreamers, and how don quixotic can you get in yours dreams and aspirations?” And he said: “I tried not to show it but I thought to myself – what a hopeless cause here was represented, where do they get a courage and a strength to continue working hard on such an idea that is so visibly utopic as the idea of restituting the souvereignity, the independence of three Baltic nations.
We did had these people, these don quixotic notions of the sanctity to Latvia`s right to independence shared by our Estonian and Lithianian brothers abroad. It was the spirit which animated both the organizations of the exiles in all their forms as well as their diplomatic representatives. And yes, in many ways the idea single was glumurous to claim to represent countries that de facto had not their existance for so many long decades.
Some of them sometimes may come across the novel, I must admit I do not remember the authour and the title – it was a spy thriller set in London at some point and it made a referance to the Latvian dilpmatic representation there with very, I might say, supersillious and arrogant attitude of about subscure little country with subscure little representation, with a totally crazy idea of somehow claiming to represent the rights of these countries to their independence. You see, these people, no matter how hopeless and how unjustified their claims might have seen to others, were recognized by the official governments of a whole long list of important countries and why? Because they did have official, legal inheritance, as it were, of their right to represent Latvia abroad.
I think it was one of the wisest steps that had been taken before the end of Latvian statehood – the legal right to represent Latvia to some of our representatives abroad which was then taken on in a way of inheritance by others following. And by that extremely important manner the recognition of Latvia de jure could be maintened, we could convince others of the justification of maintening it and we could demand in a way and obtain their agreement to the nonrecognition of the anexation of Latvia into the Soviet Union.
These few dreamers, these Don Quixotes who went in the world in their tiny little officies with the resources that came from a wisely invested golden deposites of Latvia abroad – they continued to work as impossible as it may seem. Their dream came true, the continuity was established, the legal de jure status of Latvia has continued to be uninterrupted since the recognition of Latvia in 1918. That is something of extremely great importance to us all - current generations, past generations and future ones as well.
Dāmas un kungi,
Es varētu vēl piemetināt par diviem no diplomātiem, par kuriem šeit ir izveidota izstāde, ar kuriem man ir bijusi īpaša saskare – Anatoliju Dinberga kungu ar viņa vienreizējo dzīvesstāstu un arī Arnoldu Spekki, kas bija reizē izcils zinātnieks, skolārs un arī diplomāts. Man ir bijis tas gods ar viņu tikties, izrunāties gan kā ar zinātnieku, vēsturnieku, gan kā ar diplomātu, un es varu teikt, ka šī diplomātu paaudze bija spoža, spējīga un visgrūtākajos apstākļos nesa Latvijas vārdu tālāk, centās paturēt Latvijas prasības pēc savām tiesībām un savas neatkarības. Es domāju, ka tik tiešām jaunie ministrijas darbinieki var šajos dzīvesstāstos daudz smelties iedvesmas par to, ko Latvijai kā valstij var dot viena cilvēka mūža gājums, cik ļoti būtisks un svarīgs var būt katra atsevišķa cilvēka ieguldījums, arī tādiem diplomātiem, kas nav vēl augstāko rangu sasnieguši, kas krīzes un vajadzības situācijā spēj un ir tiesīgi rīkoties Latvijas vārdā.
Tie bija grūti laiki – būt par Latvijas pārstāvi, Jums tagad ir tā laime rīkoties brīvā Latvijā, brīvā Eiropā, un visa nākotne Jums ir vaļā. Es novēlu, lai šī turpinātības sajūta dod Jums jaunu iedvesmu un jaunu spēku, Jums darot un veicot savus pienākumus kā Latvijas ārlietu ministrijas darbiniekiem, kā tiem, kas arī palīdz īstenot Latvijas de jure eksistenci. Paldies!