The Belarusian leader arrived in Riga today for a working visit, during which she met with the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa. This marks their second meeting, with the first taking place in October in Granada.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Prime Minister for Latvia’s decision not to impose restrictions on vehicles with Belarusian license plates. “This decision is an important signal to all of us, showing that Latvia differentiates between Belarusians and the regime, and also distinguishes between Belarus and Russia. We appreciate your decision”, noted the Belarusian leader. In turn, Evika Siliņa assured her that Latvia will continue to support democratic Belarus.
Various legal issues were discussed during the meeting, including the issuance of alien passports, residence permits, and visas, particularly in humanitarian cases. The Prime Minister informed Ms. Tsikhanouskaya that Latvia continues to issue visas to Belarusians at the consulate in Vitebsk.
The leaders also talked about the situation at the border and the possible closure of border crossings. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that Belarusians must not be isolated because of the thoughtless policies of the Lukashenka regime and called for maintaining passenger traffic between the two countries.
They also addressed matters related to support for media and civil society. Discussions centered around cooperation between Latvian and Belarusian NGOs, as well as the launch of Belarusian-language TV or radio programs for the large Belarusian diaspora in Latvia.
At the end of the meeting, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude to Latvia for supporting Belarusian journalists through the Baltic Center for Media Excellence. She also called for assistance in holding the Lukashenka regime accountable and supporting the work of Belarusian human rights defenders within the framework of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB).
