On March 9, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, at Palazzo Montecitorio.
She thanked the Italian Parliament for its active support of a democratic Belarus. She highlighted the important role of the “For a Democratic Belarus” Parliamentary Group, which includes representatives of almost all political parties and demonstrates a broad political consensus in Italy in support of Belarusian society. She added that such groups exist in more than 20 parliaments worldwide, and the Italian one is the largest, with more than 60 members.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also thanked President Fontana for hosting the largest interparliamentary meeting of the “For a Democratic Belarus” Alliance last March, which resulted in the signing of the Rome Declaration. She invited the Italian Parliament to join its next meeting in London.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that Italian MPs participate in solidarity campaigns with political prisoners, and many have joined Libereco’s campaign to become symbolic godparents to them.
She proposed expanding cooperation between the Italian parliament and the Belarusian diaspora in Italy. She also spoke about the work of the Belarusian shelter and the Belarusian Democratic Community Center in Florence, which were recently opened under the leadership of Yuliya Yukhno. The Belarusian leader presented proposals for addressing the residency issues faced by Belarusian citizens living in Italy.
The discussion also touched on countering Lukashenka’s and Putin’s propaganda and support for independent media.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The Belarusian issue unites almost all parties and political forces in Italy – we see full consensus here. Since 2020, the Italian Parliament has taken a firm position on Belarus, supported our movement, and our cooperation continues. I am encouraged by the high level of awareness, but even more by the willingness to help Belarusians. I am confident that these contacts – with the Italian Parliament and society – will help Belarus now and during democratic changes”.
