Good evening, my dear Latvia!
Happy 106th birthday!
It is a great happiness to be here at the Freedom Monument. And it is a great happiness to see so many smiling and proud people. Big and small. Your smile and your pride are an important part of Latvia.
Celebrating freedom is a great happiness. Our ancestors would be happy about what we are celebratng. About us here and throughout Latvia. About us in the wider world. They would rejoice because our celebration today gives meaning to their work. It is our duty to work in such a way that the Latvia of the future will also be happy and proud of us.
Friends!
Strong winds have always been blowing in Latvia. Also quite literally.
106 years ago, our ancestors faced a sea of the unknown. However, they chose to build Latvia. And their work gave them courage. Courage to defend our country. Courage that overcame the unknown.
Yes, there have been doubts at times. Sometimes doubt has made its presence felt. Sometimes indifference and hopelessness have also looked back from the mirror. And that's only human. Doubts and fears make us human. But we must overcome them together. Because courage and confidence make us a strong, free, independent Latvia.
Positive changes are needed in Latvia. But is this the right time to change something? Is it really worth creating tomorrow if we don't know what it will be like? Yes. It is.
This is the right time. This is our only time. We are here and now. And you have to fulfill your dreams now. Not tomorrow, but today. We will climb any mountain if we climb together. If we push each other up instead of pushing each other down. If we lend a hand instead of tripping each other up. If we encourage each other. Then we will reach any mountain. And believe me - there can even be very high mountains in Latvia.
We may not know anything about the people standing here with us tonight. But we know what unites us. This is Latvia. Our fatherland and freedom.
Let's fight for our Latvia. Let's protect our independence. Let's protect each other.
Let's take care of our country. Let's take care of each other.
And let's be proud of our freedom. Let's be proud of each other. Because Latvia is us.
God bless Latvia!
