The whole week Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was on a working visit to Austria and Italy.
- International visits and their outcomes:
– In Austria, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, had a meeting with heads of the OSCE missions, business representatives, human rights defenders, and the Belarusian diaspora. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also addressed the Austrian Parliament. (Read more about the meetings here and here).
Austria, together with the OSCE, is ready to seek ways to facilitate dialogue with the regime. The adoption of the EU Comprehensive Assistance Plan for Belarus and the EU Fourth Sanctions Package was also discussed.
– In Rome, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Foreign Minister Benedetto Della Vedova, Minister of Labour Andrea Orlando, former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Contéa. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also spoke at the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing of the Italian Parliament, held working meetings with major group leaders of the Italian Parliament, the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and the Belarusian diaspora. (Read more about the meetings here and here).
– The Belarusian leader called on Europe to be more decisive in its actions, support the adoption of the EU’s Comprehensive Assistance Plan for Belarus, and exert maximum pressure on the regime to release political prisoners and start a dialogue on the new election. In the upcoming weeks, the EU will announce a fourth package of sanctions against the regime.
– With European leaders, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed the organization of a dialogue platform, the holding of an international conference on the topic of Belarus at the highest level, the participation of Italy and Austria as possible mediators in the negotiations, and increasing pressure through “smart sanctions”.
– International visits help to support the topic of Belarus on the agenda of European mass media and to seek concrete assistance to Belarusian media, trade unions and strikers, medical professionals, students, athletes, and all repressed Belarusians.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with trade union leaders in Italy. They agreed that they would fight to exclude state trade unions from international associations and support the strike.
– Italy will increase support for independent media and civil society of Belarus, will support “smart sanctions” against the regime: results of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Italy.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a discussion with Elise Labott (Columnist, Foreign Policy) at the panel “Defenders of Democracy: Global Voices from the frontlines'' of the Sedona Forum 2021 by the McCain Institute. She talked about the fight of Belarusians for freedom.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a call with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda. They discussed Poland’s support for the EU’s 4th sanctions package, assistance to the repressed Belarusians, and the future integration of democratic Belarus into important regional projects.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the heads of OSCE missions. “OSCE has enough experience and political will to resolve the crisis in Belarus”, – noted Ms. Tsikhanouskaya.
- Support and mutual assistance:
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a call with Sviatlana Alexievich: they discussed the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and the current situation in Belarus. They also spoke about aid to repressed Belarusians and mass trials of political prisoners.
– A call was made by volunteers of the Office with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s advisor Alexander Dabravolski, during which the work on universal jurisdiction cases, principles of non-violent protest, and possible scenarios of events in Belarus were discussed.
– The Office has stated plans to prepare for negotiations and explained the reaction of the regime: “When we say “negotiations”, Lukashenka hears “a conspiracy”.
– Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s statement on the Chernobyl tragedy anniversary.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya congratulated all those who celebrate Orthodox Easter.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s representative for economics Ales Aliakhnovich explained what is happening with the economy of Belarus right now.
– During April 17-23, 46 messages about non-payment of salaries, the bankruptcy of enterprises, repressions, and other problems in regions of Belarus were received in the chatbot “Spotlight of Regions”. Every Belarusian can send information to the chatbot.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya identified five key principles of safe protest and listed initiatives that anyone could join.
Media appearances and interviews:
The leader of democratic Belarus, in her interviews for Belarusian and international media, spoke about the situation in Belarus, massive repressions, and work on preparation for negotiations:
- Current Time (Russia)
- Belsat (Belarus): “Левый глаз российский, правый – немецкий”. Истории белорусов, ездивших за границу по чернобыльским программам”
- Repubblica (Italy): “L'Europa mostri più coraggio contro Lukashenko”
- Австрийское радио (World): “Tichanowskaja vor Besuch in Wien”
- Associated Press News (World): “Police in Belarus block rally marking Chernobyl anniversary”
- Kronen Zeitung (Austria): “Geist des Widerstands können sie nicht rausprügeln”
- APA (Austria): “Österreich soll in Weißrussland vermittlen”
- Der Standard (Austria): “Swetlana Tichanowskaja: “Macht keine Politik auf Basis der Bilder!”
- Die Zeit (Austria): “Geist des Widerstands können sie nicht rausprügeln”
- RAI (Italy): “L'Europa faccia pressione sulla Bielorussia”
