On May 12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, in Vilnius. She also took part in the opening ceremony of the Council of Europe Information Point for the Belarusian People alongside Secretary General Berset, as well as Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys and Lithuanian Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas.
Mr. Berset and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya talked about the next steps for the Information Point — in particular, how to ensure it is as useful as possible for Belarusians and civil society. They discussed whether the Information Point can be used as a platform for events, diplomatic and political advocacy, as well as information about opportunities for Belarusians in education, mobility, and cooperation with the Council of Europe.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed that the Information Point carries significant symbolic importance for Belarusians in exile, as it is a sign that the Council of Europe is willing to support Belarusians. At the same time, it will also serve a practical purpose by helping Belarusians gain access to knowledge, contacts, and opportunities connected to European institutions.
