Today Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held discussions with Latvian Prime Minister Kariņš Krišjānis.
She thanked the Prime Minister for the support of Belarusians and for Latvian continuance to issue humanitarian visas and support the Belarusian diaspora.
Ms.Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the sentence against Andrei Kuznechyk, the persecution of independent journalists, and about the new repressive decree on death penalty for “attempted acts of terrorism”.
The national leader of Belarus urged the Prime Minister not to fall for Lukashenka's blackmail over the transit of Ukrainian grain. “It would be a shameful deal. Without the release of political prisoners and an end to repression, sanctions shall not be lifted. This will lead to even greater impunity of the regime”, Ms.Tsikhanouskaya said. They also discussed alternative grain supply options.
At the meeting, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya raised the issue of the next Council of the European Union, where the fate and potential candidacies of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to the EU will be discussed. Ms.Tsikhanouskaya said that it is important for Belarusians to hear that the EU will continue cooperation with Belarus and sees Belarus as a special partner. She suggested that the Prime Minister during the Summit raise the issue of the format of relations between Belarus and the EU now and in the future. “We must not remain behind the iron curtain. Belarusians should know and feel that the European Union supports them. The EU Comprehensive Plan of Support to Belarus has made a good start, but we expect this cooperation to be long-term”, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted.
They also discussed the effectiveness of the sanctions. According to Prime Minister Kariņš Krišjānis, the sanctions have begun to work and the main loopholes have already been closed. The Prime Minister assured that Latvia supported, supports and will support the Belarusian people and will not recognize Lukashenka's regime as legitimate.
