During her working visit to Berlin, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya was accompanied by the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Pavel Latushka, and the Cabinet’s Representative for Foreign Affairs, Vladzimir Astapenka.
The parties discussed several key issues during the meeting, including:
- the release of political prisoners, including Maryia Kalesnikava and Ales Bialiatski;
- expanding the Schengen visa issuance for Belarusians. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Germany to issue more multiple-entry and long-term visas, as well as make visas for young people free of charge;
- Germany’s support for Lithuania’s referral of the Lukashenka regime’s crimes to the International Criminal Court and efforts to hold the regime’s accomplices accountable under universal jurisdiction;
- migration issues faced by Belarusians in Germany. Both sides agreed to develop solutions that would allow Belarusians in Germany to obtain legal documents without obstacles;
- support for independent Belarusian media and Deutsche Welle’s Belarusian service;
- assistance to the Belarusian diaspora;
- pressure on the Lukashenka regime.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am truly grateful to Ms. Baerbock for supporting Belarusians, for our friendship, and most importantly, for the principled stance in advocacy for our political prisoners. Germany remains the leader in issuing visas and firmly supports democratic Belarus on the international stage”.
