As part of her visit to Tallinn, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was received by Estonia’s Minister of the Interior, Igor Taro. The parties discussed the military and political situation in Belarus, issues faced by the Belarusian diaspora, and further bilateral cooperation.
Around 3,000 Belarusians currently reside in Estonia, where dozens of diaspora groups and NGOs continue their work to support Belarusians in exile. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Minister Taro for Estonia’s comprehensive support of Belarusians, the country’s consistent position on the international stage, and its continued willingness to welcome people fleeing persecution.
The meeting addressed a number of issues important for Belarusians both in Estonia and beyond:
- the use of expired Belarusian passports for obtaining documents and carrying out legal procedures;
- the issuance of alien passports to Belarusians who cannot renew their national documents;
- verification of Belarusians and NGOs operating in Estonia;
- assistance for Belarusians who find themselves in difficult situations in third countries;
- opportunities for relocation and rehabilitation of the repressed;
- implementation of the PACE’s Luxembourg Solutions on the problems faced by Belarusians in exile.
The discussion also covered cooperation between Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior and the Representation of Democratic Belarus in Tallinn, headed by Vitaly Malchanau, and emphasized the importance of ongoing communication between the structures.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am grateful to Estonia and Minister Taro for their attention to Belarus. Since 2020, the Ministry of the Interior has been actively engaged in Belarus-related issues, closely following our work and supporting Belarusians. We see productive cooperation between the Ministry and the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Tallinn – and together, we are gradually resolving Belarusians’ issues with legal stay”.
