Speeches

Remarks by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at the 16th Gaudeamus Festival

Hello Youth! Hello Gaudeamus!

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you who have gathered here from the three Baltic States: splendid singers, magnificent dancers, excellent musicians, and the entire Baltic student community - a community that is forever young and free. And the motto that you have chosen for the festival is not accidental - UPSTREAM!

The 16th Gaudeamus celebration is full of young enthusiasm and excitement. The festival - launched in 1956 in Estonia, Tartu - evolved into a celebration of the oneness and freedom of Baltic students. It kindled the spirit of awakening during all those years. It promoted Baltic unity and solidarity across the Baltic States. And it spread the message through music, songs and dance. That is why the spirit of Gaudeamus ran so close to the spirit of national revival. And the two merged in all of the Baltic States. At the Gaudemus festival held in Vilnius in 1988, its participants raised the national tricolors of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia even before the reestablishment of independence. The Baltic students openly expressed their political will to stand together on the path to freedom.

The students are always in the vanguard, they are always in the foreground. They ignite fire in our hearts and minds. The songs resounding in Vilnius these days have created a genuine celebration for the whole of Lithuania. Not only for you, not only for the young, but also for the elderly who can rejoice in their beautiful offspring and sing together with all.

Let the songs and dances continue to unite us. Let them make us better, more responsive and ready for change. Let them bring joy and togetherness among the nations. Let them inspire us towards new challenges and goals.

Resound Gaudeamus for many years to come and guide us to a more beautiful future!

I wish you many exciting moments and meaningful aspirations, my dear students!

Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania