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Valdas Adamkus
81 quotes
“This anniversary makes us think about the values pursued by the present generation of politicians. Did we forget that the driving force behind our awareness of national identity and statehood is nurtured in the hearts and minds of the people and surely not in the corridors of power? By devaluating and ignoring ordinary people and their problems, the government is undermining the foundations of trust in the State.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Today we are walking down a path where we feel more secure from external threats than ever before in the course of our history. It is globalization and the rapidly changing world that create crucial challenges. The Lithuania of the 20th century discovered, created and established itself in a different international environment, affecting us all directly through its tragedies and intrigues.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lithuania must prepare to live in the world of the future where we will establish ourselves through innovation, creation and higher ideals. The vision of Lithuania should not be associated with our presence in the battlefields of either the East or the West, but rather with the building of a state in which we can learn and develop.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let us be worthy of our long and great history and let us purify our aspirations from anger, hatred and short-lived interests. Let us be worthy of our state and nation: let us be the architects of a new Lithuania.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I must confess that many things held more promise in the past. Moreover, our hopes were well-founded. The world seemed to be a more peaceful and stable place, and people seemed to generally have a better understanding of the conditions for their survival. This was the time of active European integration, with Lithuania being in the right place at the right time in the process. From a candidate country it marched all the way towards EU membership, smoothly taking on the role of a regional leader at a later stage.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What next? What is ahead of us if we fail to act, communicate and discuss problems? What happens if we continue living in the illusion that all is well? The world today is a small, integral and, therefore, very vulnerable place. A purely local issue, wherever it happens to take place – be it in Syria, North Korea, or our European neighbourhood – can ignite a full-scale global conflict.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Therefore, we need the ability to engage with each other, and a strategic and value-based approach to our future. I believe that our meeting today marks the beginning of a strategic dialogue. I am therefore grateful to all those who responded to the invitation to meet and discuss the future vision; a vision of renewed and extended success for decades to come; a vision that unites leaders and opens the door to new generations of free Europeans in the region.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Decades of hesitant negotiations with the North Korean regime have produced a negative result: apart from developing nuclear weapons, the country has also developed ballistic missile systems, Concurrently, Russia and China are manipulating the situation to reach their own aims.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A lack of determination in Syria has caused the problem of massive migration to Europe, at the same time opening the door for direct Russian intervention and downgrading of the US and the EU.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Russia invaded the sovereign states of Georgia and Ukraine in the 21st century. Both the US and EU failed to take every possible step to protect the countries from occupation and annexation of some of their territories. Notably, the battle on that front is not over yet. And, provided there are no new Munich plots and the transatlantic community adheres to a principled and strong position, Russia will be obliged to withdraw.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We should be deeply concerned about the destiny of Europe which is fighting for its freedom and leadership, or, to be more precise, for what is left of it. I am surprised to see some EU leaders take over Putin’s rhetoric and even defend his interests, while failing to protect the European aims and unity.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All I can say about Lithuania, by contrast, is that, more than ever, it demonstrates a failure to agree with its natural strategic partners and neighbours. We are no longer creating alliances of common interest; we are increasingly lonely with our inferiority complex. Instead of putting an emphasis on cooperation, we promote the illusionary national policy of resistance to various dictatorships. We engage in allegation and accusation policy, instead of pursuing the policy of coordination of interests.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is high time we made the necessary decisions. It is high time we embarked on the era of leadership of European values. Instead of distancing itself from decision-making, Lithuania should actively participate in decision-making that has a crucial effect on our transatlantic family, the region, and Europe at large.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The 11th of March was the day that Lithuania declared itself independent from the Soviet Union in 1990. There is only one difference; the 16th of February inspired and united people, who, despite very difficult circumstances, still cherished love and focused on creating their own state. Comparatively, the 11th of March commemorates the restoration of Lithuania after the long fight against occupation which lead to the crowning event - receiving independence. It showed that our nation, in the first phase of its independence (from 1918 till 1940, ed.), was able to rear the strongly patriotic younger generation, who took strength from their parents and built the state of Lithuania on firm, moral legs. It held that there was a strong aspiration for independence during those 50 years of occupation, and it proved to the world that we are determined to live freely and autonomously.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus: “Once you put your hand on the Constitution, your life changes forever”" in The Baltic Times (2020)
“To my mind, the question of integration is not related to the founding of Lithuanian suburbs in one place or another as you have mentioned. It was self-contained, uniting itself with a goal to maintain the nationality and further develop Lithuanian culture. In my opinion, the concentration of Lithuanians in those separate suburbs led to more permanence – Americans also paid attention to this. They – various officers attending our concerts or celebrations, for instance – were surprised by our national group, which, despite being far away from the motherland, was not only able to save their identity, but also mature it over the years. It kept hope that matters in the issues of Lithuanian freedom would get better someday. I’m personally proud of our emigrees, who managed to achieve such significant results – Lithuania’s case for independence became famous worldwide.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus: “Once you put your hand on the Constitution, your life changes forever”" in The Baltic Times (2020)
“Liberalism had no appropriate foundations to form in Lithuania. In that field we feel that we lack guides and leaders, and that our liberal idea drowns. Sometimes it seems to me that the liberal thought itself – the promotion of the free word, free will and a free mindset – is distorted in Lithuania. Thinking that liberalism opens any liberties which deny the main moral values, deform the liberal ideal and converting it, in some cases, creates chaos. The only hope is that over time, a certain group of people will remain, they won’t turn away from set liberal ideals, and then liberalism itself will become valid as one of the essential ideological domains. But, I’ll repeat myself, this will take a matter of time. I also hope that eventually Lithuanian society will become mature enough and we’ll have all indications needed for a full-grown democratic country.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus: “Once you put your hand on the Constitution, your life changes forever”" in The Baltic Times (2020)
“Is it not for this reason that Lithuania received massive moral support from all over the world since the very first moments of its national revival movement and aspirations for independence? The strong backing given by democratic forces and prominent international figures had not only encouraged us, but also accelerated our return to the family of democratic nations and the final point of our historical destination. So that once again we can leave resistance behind and resume the nation building process. So that we can live as an independent nation and member of collective security organizations, working together towards modern Lithuania, modern Europe and modern world.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This year - the last year of the century - is full of historical dates. The two of them -60 years since the start of the Second World War and the first decade of the end of the Cold War - stand out from all the other. It is difficult to decide which of the two has left a deeper mark on the European development. The first, which cost us millions of human lives and discouraged from the use of force, made us say "never again" and accelerated the integration of the old continent. The second, whose death toll of ideological violence is yet unknown, disclosed the impotence of communism and established democracy, human rights and market economy as the only resilient principles of the world order.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“By the will and mandate of the Lithuanian people I became President of the Republic of Lithuania. I am here to reconfirm the principle aspirations of our state and its people, which are: integration into the European and transatlantic structures, political and economic co-operation and good neighbourly relations. During my term in office, I will make every effort to ensure that Lithuania becomes a member of NATO and the EU. Our well-considered and pragmatic strategy of foreign and national security policy gives us a strong reason to believe in the feasibility of implementing the aforesaid policy.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Today we do not want the security and stability in Europe to be based on self-reliance and defensive barriers. I believe that such Europe belongs to the past. We live in a different world - the world in which security stems from openness and removal of barriers. Political and economic co-operation, good neighbourly relations, shared goals and values, as well as enhancement of the atmosphere of respect and confidence both within the region and throughout the world, are no less and most probably even more important. Since the re-establishment of independence, Lithuania has set its foreign policy on these principles.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Political developments of the recent years have proved the significance of joined, co-operation and integration oriented efforts to European security. The expanding atmosphere of confidence and good-will erodes the foundations of long-standing threats and conflicts. We seek to be an integrated part of the on-going developments. Moreover, we are in the vortex of these historic integration processes. The heads of Central and Eastern European states who assembled in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, last year, declared their clear-cut determination to strengthen the atmosphere of confidence in the region which, at present, is in search of guidelines for the future. It is not only our accomplishment, but also the achievement of Europe as the whole. I want to reassure you of Lithuania's commitment to the creation of the continent that is undivided and at peace.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The founding fathers of UNESCO who had witnessed the tragedy of the Second World War aspired to create an organization that would not only promote a dialogue among the cultures of the world but also act as a moral voice of the world’s nations. I believe that, in the face of the new reality, the latter role of UNESCO has acquired crucial significance. Indeed, today as never before, the States and nations of the world need a forum capable of defending and embedding the wisdom of humanity, common human values and moral principles. And the intellectual and moral power of UNESCO as such a forum, its influence and its authority in the modern world, will depend on the efforts of each and every one of us.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But I faced an entirely different autumn in Washington this year. It so happened that on 11 September I was in Washington and, together with Americans, experienced the shock of the tragedy, which I took as a tragedy for the whole world and its civilizations. Terrorist attacks on civilians are attacks on peace, which is a moral foundation of our common life; they are attacks against the ethos of humanity. The acts of terror in New York and Washington have challenged and threatened peaceful coexistence among civilizations and the peaceful future of nations. And today we must respond to this threat by mustering the wisdom and goodwill of all nations. Cultural diversity must not be made an instrument of armed conflict. Victory over terrorism is the goal of all cultures and all civilizations, since terrorism will never be acceptable in any culture or in civilized behavior. On the other hand, we are facing a shared responsibility to prevent, now and in the future, the fight against terrorism from becoming a war against any culture, religion or nation, or a conflict of civilizations.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Only recently the world witnessed the end of the Cold War. Today we all share in the benefits of progress in education, culture, and information and communication technologies. This progress allows for, but cannot guarantee, peaceful coexistence among nations. Social exclusion, ignorance, poverty, coercion and hatred are still a cause for concern to the world. They are sources of evil and destruction, which cannot be conquered with modern weapons. Therefore, if we want to conquer terrorism we must fight together against poverty, exclusion, racism and intolerance, despair and hatred. I am convinced that, as long as the world puts up with the desperate situation of millions of children in all continents, Europe included, who have no prospect of a better life, it will remain indifferent to evil and terrorism.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One European country is missing at this forum. A country whose citizens subscribe to the values of the Council of Europe but who have been robbed of the opportunity to live by them. A neighbour of Lithuania remains a grey territory on the map of European democracies. The Alexander Lukashenko regime is further isolating itself and the people of Belarus from the family of free European nations and the values of democracy. It is my firm belief that we will not close our eyes to the attempts at curbing the right of expression of the Belarusian civil society. The fact that European values have not won their way in this country testifies to our joint failure. On the other hand, this also gives an impetus to work together and help the people of Belarus to build an open and democratic society.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When seventeen years ago, after the Soviet occupation, my country regained independence and joined the UN, we were told that ‘Never again will Molotovs and Ribbentrops dare to decide the future of other nations.’ Next year we will mark the 70th anniversary of the shameful Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocols, but Lithuania and other nations of the former Soviet Union still have to fight against the revisionism seeping down from the Kremlin towers, blatant claims there was no occupation of the Baltic States and that there was no Holodomor in Ukraine where millions of people were simply starved to death by a ruthless dictator.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It does not matter if the world is unipolar, bipolar or multipolar, human life and human rights remain at the heart of our world. Only such a world can create a truly viable architecture among the states – an architecture based on trust, openness and respect for human rights. But did we see efforts to create such an architecture in the Georgia-Russia conflict? What we saw instead were renewed attempts to divide the world into zones of influence or privileged interests. And this should be unacceptable for the international community of the 21st century. Division and exclusion are bad remedies for conflict resolution. Therefore, conflict resolutions in South Ossetia, Abkhazia or elsewhere should be the responsibility of the international community and international institutions, not of one participating side, which hardly remains impartial”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Europe of those times, ravaged by wars, threats and mistrust, did not act warmly and enthusiastically towards small nations, particularly the newly emerged states. Then again, many had doubts about the Declaration: Will it not be looked upon in Lithuania as an expression of the political of only a few intellectuals? Will Lithuanians stand together in statehood after 120 years of subjugation and national humiliation under Tsarist Russia? Such doubts were quickly dispelled by the Nation who immediately stepped forward and found faith in the historic vision delivered by the signatories. With their immediate roots in rural Lithuania and a strong wish to pursue a modern urban lifestyle, people across Lithuania readily accepted the Declaration of Independence, defended it in blood and converted it into actuality.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A strong message of political will was sent to the world testifying that the Lithuanian nation had never forsaken its historical memory and traditions of statehood. But most importantly, it spoke of the spirit of freedom which was preserved, nurtured and handed down from one generation to another in small and impoverished villages where smuggled-in Lithuanian books were eagerly read by the flickering light of oil lamps. The signatories of the Declaration of Independence knew that. They knew that there was a strong spiritual bond between the word of freedom and the feeling of liberty harbored in the souls of the Nation.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Today, all is different. Unfortunately, the situation is diametrically different: Europe is trying to forge itself anew and resist fragmentation. Russia pursues the “divide and rule” policy in Western Europe, organises cyber-attacks worldwide and openly annexes the territories of its southern neighbours. Russia also supports authoritarian regimes and provokes conflicts in the Middle East. Most disgracefully and sadly, within mere several years, the relations between Lithuania and Poland have fallen from mutual trust and respect to the level of accusations, complaints, mistrust and escalation of old grievances. Moscow may use it as yet another gift.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What I would like most is to turn ideas into deeds so that an increasing number of politicians in this region, in Europe and in the US take real responsibility and finalise the decisions that have to be taken without delay to make our world safer. In the language of metaphors, as citizens of the world, we are all in the same boat today. Any regional issue may spark a fire not only in the region, but in a large part of the world. Therefore, all of us need to do whatever we can for the sake of national, regional and global security, which starts right here, right now. It starts from words and deeds of each and every one of us.”
Valdas Adamkus (born 1926) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source