On June 18, the Deputy Secretary General of the Directorate General for Political Affairs and International Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Minister Plenipotentiary Antonino Claudio Cascio, held a meeting with the democratic forces and civil society organizations of Belarus. The meeting took place at the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius and was organized and chaired by its Director, Dzianis Kuchynski.
Participants included representatives of the Belarusian Council for Culture, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Viasna Human Rights Center, the A Country to Live In Foundation, and former political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets.
The meeting provided an opportunity for Belarusian organizations to speak directly about developments in their respective fields, share current challenges, and discuss the needs of Belarusian civil society. Particular attention was given to support for political prisoners and their families, the preservation of independent media, culture, and human rights work.
The parties discussed Italy’s role in supporting a democratic Belarus, cooperation at the European level, and practical assistance for Belarusians in exile. Visa support was also addressed. Dzianis Kuchynski noted that over the past year, Italy has significantly increased the number of visas issued to Belarusians, including long-term ones, and has become the leading EU country in terms of the number of visas granted to Belarusian citizens.
The meeting followed up on agreements reached during Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s recent contacts with Italy’s leadership, including meetings with President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
As Lithuania prepares for its upcoming Presidency of the European Union, such consultations are becoming increasingly important. They allow international partners to receive first-hand information about the situation in Belarus directly from the democratic forces and civil society.
Dzianis Kuchynski: “It is important for us that Belarusians’ voices are heard directly in European capitals and that our partners can hear from representatives of culture, media, the human rights community, and people who have experienced political repression, just as they hear from politicians. This is how a genuine understanding of the situation in Belarus is formed. We are grateful to Italy for its principled support for Belarusians, its assistance to civil society, and for efforts to keep Belarus on the European agenda”.
