This week Iceland assumed the presidency of the Council of Europe, and from January 1 Iceland will preside over the Nordic Council, which consists of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and itself.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Reykjavik, where she met with Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, the Speaker of Parliament and MPs, as well as the country's First Lady. She also attended the Global Forum in Reykjavik to speak on the role of women in the Belarusian protest and the issue of political prisoners.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya handed the Icelandic leadership and MPs a list of proposals that could be implemented during Iceland's presidency of the Council of Europe, including:
- launching civil society support projects and preparing reforms as part of the activities of the Contact Group of the Council of Europe;
- bringing a delegation of Belarus' democratic forces to participate in the Council of Europe summit in May;
- inviting representatives of Belarusian political organizations and parties to PACE as observers or special guests;
- forming a Friends of Belarus group within the Nordic Council;
- initiating an international investigation of the Lukashenka regime's crimes in one of three areas: crimes against humanity, aiding and abetting military aggression, and the migration crisis;
- launching an international rehabilitation program for children of political prisoners, including those released after trials or after serving sentences;
- simplifying migration procedures for Belarusians fleeing Belarus for political reasons and because of the war in Ukraine.
The Icelandic leadership and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also discussed implementing cultural and social projects involving Belarusian artists, theaters and writers, including a potential working group of Belarusian and Icelandic historians to study the common historical heritage.
Following the meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir tweeted “Long Live Belarus,” joining the now-international flashmob that started after the regime in Belarus designated the slogan as a “Nazi symbol.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received the Trailblazer Award that acknowledges female heads of state, prime ministers and speakers for outstanding achievements in promoting democratic values. The National Leader of Belarus dedicated the award to the imprisoned women of her country and told the stories of women human rights defenders, journalists and activists.
