In Warsaw, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, Mantas Adomėnas. A year ago, the United Transitional Cabinet signed a memorandum of cooperation with the organization.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Mr. Adomėnas for the organization’s support for Belarusians, campaign to secure the release of film director Andrei Hniot, and cooperation with Belarus’s democratic forces.
The meeting covered the following topics:
- raising awareness of transnational repression in international organizations and forums, including at an event in Berlin in November. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya shared reports prepared by her Office and human rights defenders, containing recommendations for governments;
- developing an educational program for young Belarusians with the participation of the Community of Democracies, as well as advancing the Women’s Political Leadership Academy;
- cooperation with Latin American member countries of the Community of Democracies, including Panama, which currently holds the organization’s chairmanship, as well as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay;
- support for Belarusian media and independent journalists, as well as projects to counter propaganda, strengthen Belarusian identity, and promote Belarusian culture and heritage across the EU.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also discussed the current political situation in Belarus and efforts to secure the release of political prisoners. Mr. Adomėnas and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya identified priorities for cooperation over the coming months.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “It is only a matter of time before Belarus becomes a member of the Community of Democracies. We, as the democratic forces, have already formalized our relationship with the organization and will participate in its work to represent and defend the interests of Belarusians, both inside the country and in exile. I am grateful to Mantas Adomėnas for his consistent support for Belarusians and for helping us find new partners”.
