Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i chi. I hope you have a great day wherever you are this year.
Today is an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate Wales. It is also an opportunity for us to show the rest of the world who we are and what we stand for.
Wales is a country home global businesses, brilliant ideas and thousands of acts of kindness every day. We have epic mountains, dramatic coastlines and thriving cities. Wales is a country is proud of its open and progressive values. Of close-knit communities and a strong sense of social justice and fairness.
We have an ambition to become the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe. And we’re a Nation of Sanctuary providing a warm welcome to people displaced by conflict and to those seeking a safe place to live.
We’re a world leader when it comes to sustainability, as we move towards a net zero Wales. We have one of the world’s best records on recycling and we’re busy planting a National Forest across our entire nation. Climate change is the challenge of our time – for all of us around the world. But it also presents opportunities to create a vibrant and socially just economy.
In Wales, businesses, creators and innovators can thrive. Our land and seas help us produce incredible food and drink, which we love to share with our friends and family and with visitors – from unique food shacks to Michelin-star restaurants.
Wales has a rich history, a vibrant and distinctive culture, and a unique language — Cymraeg. We are proudly bilingual and have a target of a million Welsh speakers and we want to double the daily use of Welsh by 2050.
In the last few months, Wales’ men’s football team qualified and played at the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958. We were the smallest nation to qualify – a country of just over 3m people. We also have a place in the finals of the men’s hockey world cup; in netball world cup; in the rugby… Wales is a land of sport and song, but we’re so much more than that. It is a land of innovation, inclusivity – and, most important of all, kindness.
Wherever you are celebrating St David’s Day – mwynhewch – enjoy!
Mark Drakeford,
Prif Weinidog Cymru | First Minister of Wales
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn y Gymraeg.