During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the CEO of PKO Bank Polski, Szymon Midera. PKO is the largest state-owned bank in Poland, ranking first in the country by the number of individual and corporate Belarusian clients.
Mr. Midera assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya that the bank has always sought and will continue to support Belarusians. The existing restrictions are not related to politics or decisions made by the bank itself; rather, the bank operates under new European Union regulations adopted in response to the war and aimed primarily at closing loopholes used by the regimes in Belarus and Russia to circumvent sanctions.
The parties discussed the most acute problems related to Belarusians opening bank accounts, particularly for those who do not yet have residence permits or work permits in Poland, or whose passports have expired, and how these issues could be resolved, including at the European level. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed possible solutions, including the introduction of exemptions for Belarusians, which would require additional consultations with European regulators. They also discussed opportunities to support small Belarusian businesses and to hold joint events.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We discussed the urgent problems faced by thousands of Belarusians in Poland. Mr. Midera understands very well that we are talking about people who live legally in Poland, pay taxes, build businesses, and contribute to the economy. Their lives require clear, transparent, and secure rules. It is precisely such solutions that protect both banks and people and strengthen European solidarity at a time when Belarus is fighting for freedom and independence”.
Recently, the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Pavel Latushka, sent official appeals to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority and PKO Bank Polski to put an end to excessive account blockings and to reaffirm the right of Belarusians legally residing in Poland to use bank accounts on the basis of temporary documents.
