"We have problems on various levels, including various external pressures and globalization challenges, and the fact is that it's not always easy for small nations living besides big nations to defend their interests. We need to look for friends, unselfish friends, who want to be friends without preconditions, and we haven't got so many friends like that around us," the president said in an interview to the Lithuanian Television.
In the president's opinion, a small nation should not forget the fact that "it can only rely on itself to defend its statehood and preserve its language, its culture."
Talking about the meaning of the February 16, the president underlined that Lithuania's freedom should not be taken for granted.
"We understand that the freedom of Lithuania should not be taken for granted, that we need to consolidate, defend it every day and that threats to freedom are changing, they are of a different shape, not that open and aggressive, perhaps, but the statehood of Lithuania and our independence, our freedom needs to be consolidated every day. It should definitely be done from an early age," Grybauskaitė said.
On Saturday, Lithuania will mark the 95th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence.
