Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Members of the European Parliament from Lithuania, Andrius Kubilius and Rasa Juknevičienė, today in Vilnius. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya congratulated the MEPs on their re-election, and Andrius Kubilius on his nomination for Lithuania’s Representative in the European Commission.
During the meeting, they discussed the strategy ahead of the so-called 2025 election in Belarus. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that this election, which will neither be free nor democratic, cannot be recognized by the international community. The parties also discussed the regime’s recent escalation of the military and political situation, particularly at the border with Ukraine, as well as possible measures to prevent Belarus from being drawn into the war.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about cases of deportations of Belarusians from the EU countries, including from Sweden, as well as the case of Andrei Hniot.
The MEPs and the Belarusian leader talked about how to keep the issue of Belarus on the EU agenda and increase support for the repressed, civil society, and independent media.
Ms. Juknevičienė, Mr. Kubilius, and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also discussed cooperation between Belarus’ democratic forces and the European Parliament, the work of the EU Delegation on Belarus, hearings on Belarus, and cooperation within the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.
Previously, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, signed the Letter of Intent on Cooperation between the European Parliament and the Belarusian Democratic Forces.
