Madam Speaker of the Saeima!
Madam Prime Minister!
Mr Chairman of the Association of the Politically Repressed!
Members of Parliament, ministers, representatives of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and above all, the politically repressed!
Seventy-seven years ago, people of different generations and professions were deported from Latvia – children, the elderly, and those in the prime of life. They began their Golgotha journey to Siberia, to Kazakhstan, and to many distant and harsh places. Many did not survive. Those who returned, and their descendants, understand all too well the meaning of freedom. They understand all too well what totalitarian regimes mean.
Today, we honour and remember all those who perished and suffered during the Stalinist communist genocide. We remember all those whose fate reminds us that freedom and independence must never be taken for granted.
And today, as we gather here, a war has been raging not far from our borders for more than four years. The heroic people of Ukraine continue to fight. The heroic people of Ukraine are buying time for us. Time that has been given to us so that we may prepare for all possible trials, including not-so-pleasant tests of endurance.
I call upon us not only today, as we remember those who suffered repression, but also in our daily lives, to be guided by three simple truths. To unite, not to divide, to stand together and not fall apart. To work, rather than seek reasons for inaction, for only through our collective effort will our country be secure and our defence strong. And our defence, and our state, will be only as strong as we are in spirit.
Finally, this is a day, though not the only day, when, by remembering the past, we prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future. By telling the stories of the dreadful year of 1949, we come to understand the price of freedom. Therefore, let us work together in unity. Let us learn from our past, and from our Ukrainian allies and friends, and remain strong.
God bless Latvia!
