Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am sending kind regards to the organisers, artists and audiences taking part in TRANS/MISJE International Festival of Arts in Rzeszów. I am very pleased that the first edition of this new, valuable and promising artistic initiative is hosted by Poland. It is my strong belief that the festival will contribute to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the nations of Central and Eastern Europe. In my opinion it is particularly important, given our historical and cultural closeness as well as our common pursuits, experiences and aspirations. I would like to express gratitude to the architects of the idea, and to those who made this undertaking possible.
The motto of this year’s event – “1918. The end and the beginning” – points to the critically important moment in the latest history. For all our countries, and for all of us – Poles and Hungarians, Czechs and Slovaks, Lithuanians and Ukrainians, that date one hundred years ago stands for a profound change, a closure of a certain chapter in the past and an opening of a new page in the book of history. To a certain degree we interpret the meaning of that change in different ways, yet we agree that there lies the source of modern advancement of our entire region and the peoples living here. Therefore it would be difficult to begin this new initiative in a different way than by referring, together, to the roots and by pondering the reflection in the mirror of history. After all we do believe that, by carefully inspecting this image, we may also see there the contemporary times and the future of our nations.
For Poland and for Poles the current year is a special time when we celebrate 100 years of our regained independence. The jubilee highlights the value which in the hearts of our nations has always been of supreme importance. Freedom, state sovereignty, possibility of unobstructed development of the nations’ political live, economy and culture – these for centuries were aspirations of citizens of “Younger Europe”. Today we benefit from these rights, inherent to nations, but we are also aware of the existing threats. We know that freedom cannot be taken for granted; one must always strive for it, and frequently also fight for it. Since liberty is the primary condition for creativity, let this meeting of people involved in culture build the artistic sphere of our nations’ independence and autonomy.
With respect,
Andrzej Duda
President of the Republic of Poland
Międzynarodowy Festiwal Sztuk TRANS/MISJE zrealizowano dzięki wsparciu:
