In Canberra, the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Milton Dick, received Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the Parliament House. The meeting focused on strengthening ties between the democratic forces of Belarus and Australian MPs. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Speaker Dick for Australia’s principled stance in supporting Belarus’ democratic forces, emphasizing that “Australia is one of the strongest voices for democracy and human rights on the international stage”.
The parties discussed several key issues:
- Support for Belarus and Ukraine. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for continued attention to the issue of political prisoners in Belarus and further pressure on the regime to stop repression. She also discussed support for Ukraine, stressing that Ukraine’s victory is crucial not only for Ukrainians but also for Belarusians and for all of Europe.
- Support for Belarusian volunteer fighters. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed that Australia consider accepting and providing rehabilitation for Belarusian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. Many of them have sustained severe injuries and require medical assistance. “Australia already runs a rehabilitation program for Ukrainian servicemen. I believe Australia can also help our fighters, who are defending your freedom and ours”, she noted.
- A ‘For Democratic Belarus’ Parliamentary Group. The central topic of the meeting was Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s proposal to establish a Parliamentary Group ‘For Democratic Belarus’ in the Australian Parliament. Speaker Milton Dick expressed support for this initiative, emphasizing that Australia is interested in developing relations with democratic Belarus and is ready to promote cooperation among MPs. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that similar groups already operate in 23 countries, including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Canada, and the United States. The parties also discussed opportunities for further engagement, including the participation of the Belarusian democratic community in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
At the end of the meeting, Tsikhanouskaya presented the Speaker with white-red-white bracelets and signed the Speaker’s guest book.
