Given by His Excellency, President Kevin Baugh
On the Occasion of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic of Molossia,
May 26th, 2002 XXV
My fellow Molossians and distinguished visitors:
I stand you before on this, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of our nation, and with you look ahead to a long, prosperous future. In the years since our the foundation of our nation, many changes have taken place. We began as a kingdom, the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, founded by myself and James Spielman on May 26th, 1977. In the years since, we have had name changes and government changes, but one thing has remained the same, our ongoing quest to establish and maintain our national presence. In this, we have succeeded. The Republic of Molossia stands today as one of the foremost small nations on the planet. We have made a name for ourselves in the international community, and that community has in turn accepted us, gaining us recognition from many quarters. I am confident that we have only just begun to prosper in the international arena, and that our gains are only the shape of things to come.
We have come a long way in twenty-five years. From our humble beginnings as a nomadic state, we are now in our fourth year on sovereign territory. Daily the flag flies proudly from the staff before Government House, a flag we can look upon as an uplifting symbol of our independence. There is no question that today Molossia is a true, viable member of the community of the world's nations.
That is not to say that there are not struggles ahead. As the world's smallest republic, we are dwarfed by almost every nation on earth. The prospect of dealing with the legion of larger nations is daunting and living in the shadow of our American neighbors can be intimidating. We must always remember though, we are Molossians. Our proud heritage and our resolve will carry us through adversity. We will make our own path as a sovereign nation, and rise above difficulties. There is no obstacle that can stand in the way of a determined people.
And so, I exhort you, be proud of who you are; remember those who have gone before and those who have struggled to make our nation great. We must continue this struggle and look to the future as our home, a future that promises greatness for our nation and our people.