During her visit to Vienna, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended an event hosted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which brought together ambassadors and diplomats representing OSCE member states, as well as members of parliamentary groups “For a Democratic Belarus”.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya addressed key issues concerning Belarus that the OSCE should keep on its agenda:
- Regional security
“There will be no lasting peace in the region without a democratic Belarus. If the Lukashenka regime’s rule had ended in 2020, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia might not have happened. Thus, the struggle for change in Belarus is not just a domestic issue”.
- Belarus on Europe’s map
“Our independence and existence are under threat. Negotiations to end the war in Ukraine might begin soon. I fear that Belarus could be handed over to Putin as a consolation prize”.
- No going back to ‘business as usual’ with the regime
“On January 26, Lukashenka will hold a so-called ‘election’, with no real candidates, no vote counting, and no observers. Former candidates remain imprisoned, alongside thousands of other Belarusians. Hundreds of thousands are in exile and deprived of their voting rights. After this farce, the Western policy toward Belarus must remain unchanged”.
- OSCE mediation for the transitional period
“We have developed a contingency plan, including what actions we will take and what the international community should do when a window of opportunity opens. The democratic forces will be ready to steer Belarus onto a European path of development. But this will require OSCE mediation and support”.
