On January 15, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, in Vilnius. She thanked Minister Tsahkna for Estonia’s support for the repressed, the International Humanitarian Fund, and the Representation of Democratic Belarus in Tallinn.
Mr. Tsahkna and Ms. Tsihanouskaya discussed the security situation in the region, developments in Iran and Venezuela, the process and next steps toward the release of political prisoners, relations with the United States, joint initiatives in international organizations, and the European Union’s sanctions policy. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that pressure on the regime must be maintained as long as repression continues and until systemic changes begin in Belarus. She also shared the plans and priorities of the democratic forces for 2026.
They separately discussed the work of the Representation of Democratic Belarus in Tallinn and the possibility of expanding its activities to neighboring countries, cooperation with the Nordic countries and the Nordic–Baltic Eight, the participation of released political prisoners in international conferences in Tallinn, a possible conference on Belarus, and efforts toward the recognition of the New Belarusian Passport.
Minister Tsahkna assured Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that Estonia’s support for the democratic forces would continue both at the national level and within the European Union. Estonia has been elected to the UN Human Rights Council and intends to actively raise the Belarusian issue on this platform.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am grateful to Minister Tsahkna and the entire Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their consistent support for Belarusians and for Belarus. Belarusians in Estonia feel safe, and we are systematically addressing diaspora-related issues. Estonians understand our struggle for freedom and independence well, as they themselves have gone through this path. I am particularly thankful for the support of our Representation in Tallinn and hope that we will be able to implement a number of new initiatives this year”.
