Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Latvia, where she met with the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Latvian NGOs. Sviatlana also laid flowers at the Freedom Monument in Riga and lit candles together with Belarusian diaspora to commemorate Raman Bandarenka.
It’s expected that in the near future Latvia and Baltic countries will introduce an extended list of individual sanctions, which could include hundreds of names of people, responsible for repressions and fraud.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya encouraged the National Bank of Latvia to suspend the cooperation with the state banks Belarusbank and Belagroprombank, and to impose economic sanctions on state enterprises that dismiss the striking workers. In particular, Tsikhanouskaya called on to reconsider procurement contracts for oil and metal products, timber and wood processing industry and alcohol from Belarus. Sviatlana also supported the idea to impose economic sanctions on businesses, connected to Lukashenka and the oligarchs close to him.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to the minister Rinkēvičs, asking to support the international investigation under universal jurisdiction and declare the Main Directorate for combating organized crime (GUBOPiK) and OMON extremist organizations.
The president of Latvia Levits stated that he considers Sviatlana the recognized representative of people of Belarus and supported the idea of expanding the list of sanctions on EU level. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in turn, thanked Latvia for the help to the wounded, opening of a humanitarian area, simplification of visa procedures for the repressed, as well as financial support for Belarusian journalists and repressed activists. Tsikhanouskaya also asked to support small businesses that suffered from the regime’s reaction to strikes.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also discussed with the leaders of Latvia the possibility of cancellation of the Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk (it was planned that the championship will take place in Minsk and Riga). It’s expected that the decision on cancellation or postponement will be made in the near future.
