"It's a great honor to congratulate you all on the State Day," the president said at the awards ceremony on Saturday.
"I really wish that fortitude and unity follow our every step. You are all loyal creators of the state," Grybauskaitė said.
Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was awarded the highest state decoration, Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great, for her contribution to the development of interstate relations between the United States of America and Lithuania.
Clinton and other awardees who were not able to attend the Saturday awards ceremony will receive their awards at a later time following necessary arrangements.
Moreover, a Grand Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania was awarded to Günther Oettinger, the European Commissioner in charge of energy.
Andrzej Rzeplinski, the president of Poland's Constitutional Court, received a Grand Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for active cooperation between the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Poland and fostering of constitutional values.
Grand Crosses of Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania were given to Japan's Consul General in the United States Shigeyuki Hiroki, NATO Deputy Secretary General Gabor Iklody, Japan's Ambassador to Jordan Junichi Kosuge, MEP Hans Gert Hermann Pottering and former secretary of the Lithuanian National Revival Movement (Sąjūdis) Angonita Rupšytė.
The awardees also included artists, law enforcement officers and athletes.
