“Dear ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank Anna Fatyga and Zygis Pavilionis for organizing the 4th Kalinouski conference. Thank you on behalf of Belarusians for standing with us.
I was in Brussels yesterday. My team told me that Joachim Lelevel, famous history professor at Vilnius University, lived there in exile in the 1830s.
He was exiled from then Russian empire for coining the phrase that inspired generations of freedom fighters to come: for our freedom and yours.
In the 1860s, 30 years later, inspired by Lelevel's motto, Kastus Kalinouski headed the liberation uprising in Belarus and Lithuania. He fought for our freedom and yours.
160 years later, at striking factories and women's marches, at ballot stations and in prisons, on the streets of Minsk and in cyberspace, Belarusians peacefully defended the values that uphold our freedom and yours.
160 years later, Ukrainains are fighting for the future of Europe. In the trenches of Donbas, skies of Kyiv, or streets of Kherson, they are fighting for our freedom and yours.
I feel outrage that our country has been dragged into a lawless invasion by a dictator who represents only himself.
But I feel proud for the Belarusians who have stood up against it.
I feel proud for thousands of those who took to the streets, knowing the risks of prison and torture, in February.
I feel proud for those who sabotaged railways in March and April. They now face up to capital punishment for their bravery.
I feel proud for the hundreds of Belarusian volunteers who are defending Ukraine right now.
I feel proud for thousands of ordinary Belarusians who continue to donate to the Ukrainian army and people.
I also feel hopeful about Europe. I am happy that last week the European Commission recommended extending EU candidacy status to Ukraine and Moldova. Along with other leaders of the Belarusian democratic forces I called for this decision. It would confirm that not only Ukrainians want to be with Europe, but also Europe wants to be with Ukraine. It would acknowledge the fact that Ukrainians are fighting for European freedom too.
I urge you to remember that the destinies of Ukraine, Europe, and Belarus are interconnected. There can be no free Ukraine without free Belarus and vice versa. And, I am sure history taught us, Europe can't be safe unless both of our nations are free. There can be no freedom for you without freedom for us.
So, behind the roar of tanks and blinding headlines, I urge you not to forget about Belarus. I urge you to remember one simple thing: Belarus is not Russia and Belarusians don't support the war. By helping our struggle for freedom, you are bringing prosperity for Ukraine and Europe closer.
As the EU is deciding on new candidates, now is the moment to confirm in the debates’ final document a European perspective for Belarus. We must start the conversation about the forms of engagement between the Belarusian nation and the EU.
As we move towards strategic goals, I ask you to advance ideas that will bring Belarus and the EU closer: mobility of Belarusians, opening visas, launching student exchanges and educational programs. Anything that doesn’t involve the regime only helps. We should support the people and pressure the regime.
We should work together on a strategic media campaign to counter Russian propaganda. Together, we can create an alternative narrative of free Belarus that belongs in Europe.
Lastly, together with the Council of Europe we are formulating decisions that would set up participation of a real democratic Belarus in the work of this authoritative organization. An example that, I hope, will prove to be successful and can be extended to other international organizations.
Belarusians united in 2020. We also united Europe and the world around us. 2022 is a critical test for our unity. And only by standing together can we ensure our freedom and yours”.
