Heads Of State

"In 1944, the Soviet terror and suppressions made me leave Lithuania. I found a temporary shelter first in a war ravaged Germany, later - in the United States. I was among those who could take advantage of the possibilities offered by free society, and also share its responsibilities."

"Although the Iron Curtain has separated Lithuania from the West, the Lithuanian people have retained their commitment to the values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law."

"There is an idea that I cherish deeply and I believe we all do. That is the idea of building a ‘Europe whole and free’ and a Europe that is at peace with itself."

"Europe has been set on a clear course, walls of mistrust have been brought down, families have been reunited and wars have been extinguished."

"We have much hard work ahead of us. We should not shy away from difficulties but draw confidence from our shared past and the challenges we have already overcome by our common resolve."

"Working together, in harmony and with a shared sense of responsibility, we can come considerably closer to achieving the vision of a ‘Europe whole and free’ that brought us together in the first place."

"We believe that the terrorism we are witnessing today comes from imperialism, and we are fighting it. If we put an end to this war, if we have a strong army, we will be able to engage in developing our homeland. That is what we see as the purpose of our struggle. This is why it is utterly important to build and train staff."

"A charismatic 37-year-old, Burkina Faso's military ruler Capt Ibrahim Traoré has skilfully built the persona of a pan-Africanist leader determined to free his nation from what he regards as the clutches of Western imperialism and neo-colonialism.[..] Traoré's popularity comes despite the fact that he has failed to fulfil his pledge to quell a 10-year Islamist insurgency that has fuelled ethnic divisions and has now spread to once-peaceful neighbours like Benin."

"We are a people of the crossroads of prophecy and politics, and Africa’s time is no longer coming. It is here. We are rewriting the narrative, reshaping the future, reclaiming the dignity denied to us by centuries of foreign domination and spiritual manipulation. And the church must decide where it stands, with the powers that be here, with the people who bleed. I do not write this letter to condemn. I write it to invite you, Your Holiness, into a deeper solidarity, to a solidarity that walks barefoot with the poor, that dares to speak truth in Rome as boldly as it does in Rwanda, that names the Saints not just by miracles, but by their commitment to justice. We await your voices, not from balconies, but from trenches and from favelas. From refugee camps, from behind the bars of political prisons where truth is incarcerated."

"Despite the effort to present Traoré as a bold reformer and saviour, the political, security and economic ramifications from his junta rule will reverberate through Burkina Faso for decades to come."

"Traoré has rejected financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, insisting the country can develop without the West’s loans and conditionalities. For some, this is a demonstration of Africans handling their own affairs. For the youth, Traoré’s regime is a chance to show what young people can achieve. But for most ordinary Burkinabé, the priority is simply improving their daily living conditions. At a time of increasing global uncertainty and a decline in international aid, Africa must strive for self-reliance and control of its resources. Like many African countries, Burkina Faso is blessed with natural resources that, if properly managed, could transform citizens’ lives."

"I lead a nation that was tossed aside by the world until we refused to be silent. We were told we were too poor to be independent, too weak to be sovereign, too unstable to resist. But I tell you this with the thunder of ancestors in my voice. We are done asking for permission to exist."

"Will you be the Pope who sees Africa not as a periphery, but as the prophetic center? Will you be the Pope who does not only visit slums for photo opportunities, but who dares to speak with rage against the forces that make those slums permanent?"

"Your Holiness, I speak now only for Burkina Faso, but for a continent too long patronized. Africa is not a continent of pity, we are a continent of prophets. Prophets who were jailed, exiled and murdered for daring to challenge the empire."

"Your Holiness, we Africans know the power of the cross. We know the hymns, the prayers, the litanies. We have built churches with calloused hands and defended our faith with our blood."

"I am almost out of time, but I would like to say that we must pay tribute to our nations who fight and struggle. Glory to our nations! Dignity and respect for our nations! Victory to our nations! Thank you, comrades. Homeland or death!"

"But we also know another truth, one that too many preferred to bury, that the church at times walked beside colonizers, that while missionaries prayed for our souls, soldiers littered our lands, that while you predecessors spoke of heaven, our ancestors were chained on earth."

"What we need is a Pope who will name the modern-day Herod who will thunder against economic empires just as boldly as the Church once thundered against communism."

"As for Burkina Faso, for the past eight years we have been fighting the most barbaric and cruel form of colonialism and imperialism, which are forcing a modern form of slavery on us. We have learned one thing very well: a slave who cannot protest deserves nothing more than pity, and his future is miserable. We did not wait for anybody to take care of us. We decided to fight the terrorists who are preventing our development."

"I cannot understand why Africa, with its huge mineral resources, water and sun, is the poorest continent where hunger abounds, and why we have to ask for help. We ask these questions, but we are not getting any answers."

"In this struggle, our courageous people decided to take up arms against terrorism. We were surprised to learn that imperialists refer to them as armed groups or militarized groups, while calling people in Europe who take up arms to defend their homeland patriots. Our forefathers were deported to save Europe, and this happened against their will. But when they came back and tried to assert their basic rights, they faced cruel repression."

"The problem is not when people decide to take up arms. The problem is that the leaders of African countries do not bring anything to people fighting imperialism, calling us armed groups or criminals. We do not agree with this approach. We, the heads of African states, must stop acting as puppets ready to act whenever the imperialists pull the strings."

"The role of Africa and Russia in combating Nazism has been mostly forgotten. We have come together today because we need to talk about our countries’ future. What will happen tomorrow in this new, free world which we are striving for, a world without interference in our internal affairs? We have the same prospects."

"Even when it comes dressed in a tailored suit, carrying diplomatic credentials and smiling through its sins, Your Holiness the world stands at a precipice and Africa this battered and beautiful continent is not merely watching from below we are climbing. We are bleeding, we are rising, and we are daring to ask questions that echo louder than canon law. Where was the church when our presidents were overthrown by foreign-backed mercenaries? Where was the church when our youth were abducted and indoctrinated into wars funded by nations that pretend to be peacekeepers. Where was the church when our currencies collapsed? When the IMF choked our economies? When our leaders were punished for choosing sovereignty over submission? Do not tell us to forgive while the whip is still in the hand of the abuser."

"I would also like to apologize to the elders. Please, forgive me if I have wronged you in any way. My generation is asking many questions without getting any answers, but we feel at home, in our family here."

"The history of human development has witnessed great progress. Human intelligence has transformed the world, making human life better, more developed and more perfect in all aspects. However, it is also humans who are also the cause of difficulties and challenges that the humanity is facing. Specifically, it is the cause of climate change, epidemics, resource depletion or the creation of weapons of mass destruction, etc. Right now, the choices we make will shape our future."

"We are living in a rapidly changing world. But for Vietnam, one thing remains unchanged: Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, we continue to consistently implement a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a friend, a reliable partner, and an active, responsible member of the international community."

"The great achievements we have made originate from the right path that Vietnam has chosen under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with the efforts and determination of the entire nation. Overcoming many difficulties and challenges, from a country of slavery, devastated by war, Vietnam has regained independence and today has affirmed its position as a dynamically developing economy."

"In the coming time, the world and regional situation will continue to have many complex and unpredictable changes, opportunities and challenges will continue to intertwine. The good news is that peace, cooperation and development are still the major trend, the common aspiration of all peoples."

"We firmly believe that, together, we will overcome all challenges, seize opportunities to join hands to build a world of peace and sustainable development, and shape a fair international political and and economic order based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law."

"In the context of global landscape with both opportunities and challenges, Viet Nam, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam will certainly enter the a new era, an era of rising up, constantly striving, making greater contributions to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and the world by promoting the spirit of self-reliance, self-confidence, and national pride, taking the great national solidarity and pure international solidarity as the driving force, strongly mobilizing the people's strength, closely linking the Party's will with the people's hearts as the foundation."

"After nearly 80 years of national founding and nearly 40 years of Renovation, under the comprehensive leadership of the Communist Party, Vietnam is standing at a new historical starting point, a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise. The great and historically significant achievements of the Renovation process are the premise for the Vietnamese people to believe in the future ahead."

"Looking back at the journey that the Vietnamese people have gone through, more than ever, we are confident, steadfast and moving forward. In the new era, the era of the Vietnamese people's rise under the leadership of the Communist Party, we will do our best to realize that aspiration of the nation. On the journey towards the future, Vietnam will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with international friends and partners, sharing the same vision, coordinating actions, for the best goals for all of humanity."

"We will relentlessly strive to ensure that the people fully enjoy development achievements and future generations are well prepared for their paths ahead."

"Scientific and technological achievements must serve social progress, focus on humanity, liberate and develop humanity in a comprehensive manner, constantly improve life, for the benefits and happiness of humanity and for future generations."

"Culture is a special product of the people and the nation. Preserving and promoting the strength of culture is an area that any country must pay attention to because this task is closely linked to social development, enriching the spiritual life of the people and the effective operation of the state."

"From a land without a name on the world map, from a war-torn country, Viet Nam has risen to become a symbol of peace, stability, hospitality, and a destination for international investors and tourists."

"Besides the achievements, frankly admit that compared to the period of resistance war and national construction, literary and artistic activities in the period of national renovation are somewhat stagnant, lacking enthusiasm; lacking works with high artistic generalization, with the ability to appeal, move, encourage, and motivate the entire people and army to join hands, unite, and be determined to implement the strategic policies of the Party and State. The literary and artistic foundation has not yet vividly and fully reflected the reality of the renovation and international integration, traditional cultural values ​​have been lost; confused, passive, not proactively absorbing the quintessence of human culture, not promptly preventing the "poisonous wind" of foreign culture from invading national culture."

"In the process of building and developing the country, spreading throughout the lifeblood of the Fatherland like blood cells, the team of artists continues to sacrifice and endure hardships to reflect and affirm the colorful vitality in all regions and professions, creating works imbued with cultural and humanistic values, adding vitality to aesthetics and art, creating spiritual resources for the country on the path to prosperity and beauty, especially the beauty of the Vietnamese soul."

"Scientific and technological achievements should be to promote cooperation, instead of being tools against nations, going against the aspirations for peace, development, equality and justice of nations."

"Many products follow the trend of petty and temporary entertainment; some incite low instincts; some eagerly embrace foreign artistic views that are unselective, far from the function of truth, goodness, and beauty; has not fulfilled its noble mission as a torch of humanity, a torch of wisdom and culture to illuminate, guide and create healthy and progressive values ​​and lifestyles. Some artists are still passive, lacking in aspiration, not committed, even degenerate in political ideology, have distorted thinking, follow trivial tastes, follow immediate personal interests, fall into depravity, violate the law. The artistic environment sometimes and in some places has not really created a source of inspiration, contributing to arousing the aspirations and passion of artists. In the creation, performance and dissemination of literary and artistic works, there are still many works and activities that have not demonstrated progress and national identity."

"The Russian past offers many lessons for the present and not just those the current powers that be want people to draw. Among those unlearned lessons, Sergey Lozenko of Sovershenno Sekretno says, is one that comes from the disasters that followed from Aleksandr Kolchak’s failure to take the nationality question seriously. In a 2,000-word article entitled “Kolchak’s Nationality Question,” the historian says [that] the leaders of the White Movement [had] routinely underestimated the importance of ethnic issues and believed that any problems in that area could be solved by force alone. The result was disaster (sovsekretno.ru/articles/istoriya/natsionalnyy-vopros-kolchaka100624/)."

"A year ago Russia started full scale war against Ukraine, many doubted if Ukrainians would withstand. They did, their moral victory is great. Today many ask, if Ukraine can win militarily. The answer is yes and we must send more weapons, more help. Ruzzia delenda est"

"I fully support @EmmanuelMacron: we should not draw red lines for ourselves, we must draw red lines for Russia and we should not be afraid to enforce them. Ukraine must win, Russia must be defeated. Russia delenda est!"

"Our principal shortcoming is poor organization of party and government Verification. We must seek to ensure that each and every worker develops a reflex of an implacable attitude toward all negative elements which impede our forward movement. We must ensure that well organized verification becomes a continuously operating positive stimulus and companion in the work of party, government and public organizations at all levels. Monitoring and verification of execution is an indissoluble, unique component part and the heart of organizational work, the right hand of party, government and public organizations in performance of their principal functions. Well-organized monitoring and verification of execution should be utilized as a powerful means of day-by-day correction of discovered shortcomings and assurance of unity of word and deed. In order to achieve the stated goals the directives, decrees and tasks of our organizations should always be specific in indicating the person responsible for executing the goals and the timetable for their completion."

"The primary task of party, governmental, public, economic, and cultural organizations is to ensure the most painstaking and attentive approach to worker letters and complaints, bearing in mind the fact that there are major shortcomings in this work both at the central level and in the localities."

"Continuously improving the oversight mechanism, the party sets for itself the goal of ensuring a high degree of efficiency, organization and follow-through by cadres. Proceeding from this, it is Our obligation to develop in a systematic manner follow-through discipline in each and every official of party, government and public organizations, by steadily increasing demandingness and by better organization of political indoctrination work among labor forces."

"Every individual should constantly bear in mind that the absence of or poorly organized oversight as well as a low degree of demandingness on oneself and others lead to the appearance and growth of weeds in our ranks. Weeds are the worst enemy of a good harvest. It is our sacred task promptly to pull out by the roots weeds of all types and varieties. Each and every member of the socialist society is obligated strictly to evaluate his activities and conformity between the level of his knowledge and abilities with today's demands, and constantly to expand his horizons of knowledgeability, bearing in mind that history is not standing still, that every day there is an increase in the pace of scientific and technological advance, work forms and methods are enriched, and the know-how and abilities of leading labor performers become improved. Working systematically to increase demandingness on ourselves and others, we should always ensure an implacable attitude toward violations of party, state and labor discipline and eliminate cases of failure to carry out party and government decisions and to observe the laws of the state."

"For more than 60 years the Mongolian nation has traveled along the path of freedom and happiness that was laid by the Great October. During all these years we sensed, and continue to sense, the steadily/increasing, noble support of the Soviet citizens, their selfless, varied, fraternal assistance in our laborious forward movement from the backward feudal past to modern economic and social achievements. The entire experience of the construction of socialism in Mongolia, bypassing capitalism, is the most brilliant confirmation of the viability and rightness of Leninist theory, the real embodiment of which began with the victory of the Great October."

"Confronted by the increase in the aggressive strivings on the part of American imperialism, directed against the socialist community and the peaceful life of the peoples of various continents, the Soviet Union and the other countries of socialism were forced to take steps to reinforce their defensive might, as the chief means of bridling the imperialistic forces of aggression. This finds the understanding and support of all the peace-loving forces. The Soviet Union and its Armed Forces have repeatedly proven their adherence to the cause of peace and their faithfulness to their pledges to serve as allies of their friends. We view the concern shown by the Soviet leadership for the Soviet Armed Forces to be noble efforts for preserving the peace and guaranteeing the peaceful life of the peoples of all the continents. Everyone who treasures peace and calm on the earth looks hopefully and trustingly toward the Soviet Union, justly seeing in the first state of workers and peasants a might defender and an invincible bulwark of peace on our planet. And so today, on the eve of the glorious anniversary of the Great October, it is especially gratifying for us to note that the Soviet Union, undeviatingly following the behests of the great Lenin, holds high the banner of peace and progress, under which newer and newer nations from various continents on the earth are consolidating themselves."