During her working visit to Strasbourg, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos. The Belarusian leader also spoke at the World Forum for Democracy.
The discussions covered:
- ways to secure the release of political prisoners and support them;
- steps to enhance Belarusians’ mobility through visa issuance and streamlined legalization procedures;
- non-recognition of the regime’s 2025 “election” by European partners;
- support for culture and independent media in Belarus;
- steps to advance cooperation between Belarus’ democratic forces and civil society and Council of Europe bodies.
As a result of the visit:
- The Council of Europe will establish the Information Office for Belarus in Vilnius. On November 6, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe voted in favor of this decision, with a final vote in the Lithuanian Seimas expected soon.
- An internship program for Belarusians within the Council of Europe will be launched, which is unprecedented since Belarus is not a formal member state.
- In late January, a Belarus delegation will officially participate in a PACE session for the first time. It will include the Coordination Council members.
- The Council of Europe’s Contact Group for the democratic forces of Belarus will continue its activities, with the next meeting scheduled for December 2.
- The Contact Group will organize training, internships, seminars, and expert meetings for Belarusian journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and analysts.
