Prime Minister addresses the Baltic Investors Forum 2021

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has addressed the Baltic Investors Forum 2021.

According to the Head of Government, every crisis is also an opportunity. Although the coronavirus-induced pandemic has been a terribly painful blow, yet it has also revealed long-standing problems and areas in need of rapid change and innovative solutions. The anti-vaccination campaign and the spread of disinformation have been faced, yet the importance of unity and solidarity have also proven their worth.

'Today it is important that we do not just try to return to pre-pandemic times, but we should build the world of the future by learning from mistakes of the past and formulating clear objectives. Therefore, today we are not talking about the rescue of the state or revival of the economy, but about the new generation Lithuania,' said Prime Minister Šimonytė.

To this end, according to the Prime Minister, we need to maintain the economic growth momentum, tackle the existing socio-economic problems, be faster and more flexible compared to others, and stand out not in terms of lower costs, but in terms of our ability to adapt immediately. This requires strong institutions and quality public services as well as equal cooperation between business and science. Therefore, Šimonytė believes, to achieve quality, we need to not only streamline IT structures, open up institutional data, and restructure civil service, but a more fundamental change is also needed. Special attention needs to be devoted to education, science, and innovation. The importance of attracting talents from abroad has been stressed, while the Prime Minister has also expressed her delight at the fact that there is a large number of start-ups in Lithuania and that investors' trust is being earned, which shows that Lithuania moves in the right direction.

'We still have many divisions in society. Only through our efforts, through education, can the situation change and a culture of trust grow faster. Attitudes that many young people have today are already less marginalising and more inclusive, and that is the basis of our success. A more tolerant and western Lithuania can become not only a better place to live, grow, and prosper, but also to set up businesses and invest. I truly believe that positive change is possible if we work together,' said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has wished the participants of the Baltic Investors Forum and Towards Sustainability Conference constructive discussions.