The Director of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office in Vilnius, Dzianis Kuchynski, met with special envoys and representatives of the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries, who came to Vilnius for a special visit to hold consultations with Belarus’s democratic forces and partners based in Lithuania.
Dzianis Kuchynski thanked the special envoys for their work and welcomed this format for systematic engagement with Belarus’s democratic forces and coordinated international support for Belarus. The participants also noted the appointment of France’s new special envoy for Belarus, who will continue working within this format.
The NB8 representatives reaffirmed their support for Belarus and its democratic forces and their readiness to continue cooperation.
The discussion focused on the situation inside Belarus, repression, and the situation of political prisoners, as well as assistance to those released from prison. Dzianis Kuchynski thanked Lithuania for receiving and supporting released political prisoners and Belarusians living in the country.
Other topics included transnational repression and the challenges Belarusians face abroad, including legal status and access to documents. In this context, the participants agreed on the need for coordination among partner countries to protect Belarusians who cannot safely return home. The discussion also covered regional security, Belarus’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and a coordinated approach among international partners vis-a-vis Belarus.
The parties discussed the International Humanitarian Fund, to which all countries represented at the meeting have already made contributions. Dzianis Kuchynski thanked each of the countries for their participation, calling for long-term support for the IHF. For some countries, the upcoming contributions will be their second, while for others, they will be their third.
Dzianis Kuchynski: “We appreciate that countries continue to engage with the democratic forces through the special envoys mechanism. This format allows us to maintain an ongoing dialogue and coordinate joint action. As long as repression continues in Belarus and political prisoners remain behind bars, we must maintain a united and coordinated position and support for Belarusians”.
