On November 12–13, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to London.
She held governmental and parliamentary meetings and took part in the panel discussion “The Fight for Freedom in Eastern Europe”.
With the Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed the progress and continuation of the bilateral consultations between the democratic forces of Belarus and the United Kingdom, launched earlier this year. Minister Doughty reaffirmed the UK’s readiness to continue this work and assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya that the country’s policy toward the Lukashenka regime would remain unchanged – firm, principled, and focused on supporting the Belarusian people. They also touched upon the work of the International Humanitarian Fund which helps repressed Belarusians, and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on the UK to join it.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel, and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group “For Freedom and Democracy in Belarus”, Wendy Morton.
She briefed Kemi Badenoch on the current situation in Belarus, including the issue of political prisoners. The two also discussed cooperation in the field of women’s leadership and recorded a video message for participants of the Women’s Leadership Academy, organized by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office in partnership with the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel for her support in organizing visits to Australia and New Zealand, including assistance with contacts and expert meetings.
With the Chair of the AAPG “For Freedom and Democracy in Belarus”, Wendy Morton, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed the group’s achievements, continued cooperation, and plans for the next Alliance meeting, scheduled to take place in London in the spring of next year. Attention was given to the organization of the meeting, its program, and possible side events dedicated to political prisoners, the Belarusian diaspora, and culture.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), Emily Thornberry, in the House of Commons, for her consistent support for Belarus. They discussed cooperation with the Committee, possible hearings on Belarus, and broader engagement with the Belarusian diaspora in the UK.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also expressed gratitude to MP Sir John Whittingdale for his active involvement in the APPG “For Freedom and Democracy in Belarus”. Sir Whittingdale is also the Chair of the Media Freedom APPG, and Tsikhanouskaya thanked him for his cooperation with Belarusian journalists. She also presented the #WeStandBYyou international support campaign for political prisoners led by Libereco, which unites symbolic godparents in different countries. She called for making the campaign more practical and announced a Congress of Godparents next year.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also called for simplifying the issuance of travel documents, recognizing expired Belarusian passports for legal purposes, and minimizing the need for documents that can only be obtained inside Belarus. As a basis for practical steps, she suggested reviewing the “Luxembourg Solutions”.
