Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met with members of the delegation on relations with Belarus led by Juozas Olekas. Members of the European Parliament and members of the groups For Democratic Belarus in various national parliaments, including Moldova and Ukraine, also took part in the meeting.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for continuing support for political prisoners, joining the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus on March 25, maintaining the policy of non-recognition of Lukashenka and avoiding the “empty chair” policy of leaving Belarusians with no vote in international organizations where Belarus has a seat. Such a practice was sometimes used in organizations like the Eastern Partnership Summit.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted: “It's good Lukashenka is not there, but it is important that Belarusians have a voice”. The parties also discussed joint efforts. In the coming months, an alliance of groups For Democratic Belarus will be formed, including representatives of groups from 17 national parliaments. The “United for Democratic Belarus” alliance will work on a regular basis to coordinate and strategize actions on Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and MPs also discussed systemic cooperation between the European Parliament, EU member states’ national parliaments, and Belarus democratic forces. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also called for maintaining contact with independent political parties, which are now being persecuted in Belarus and threatened with liquidation in connection with the new law.
Lukashenka's trip to China, Belarusian partisans’ sabotage act in the Machulishchy air base, as well as accountability for the Lukashenka regime were also discussed.
During the meeting, the politicians also discussed support for cultural figures, the Belarusian language, national identity, independent creators who have been persecuted, and athletes. The latter should have the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, while the official teams of the Lukashenka and Russia regimes must be deprived of this right.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also called for assistance to Belarusian volunteer fighters in Ukraine and emphasized the need to simplify legalization of their status on Ukrainian territory. This was confirmed by Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada who was also present at the meeting.
In addition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with representatives of major party groups in the European Parliament, including Jozas Olekas and Matthias Ecke of the Social Democrats, Michael Gahler, Andrzej Galicki, and Miriam Lexmann of the European People's Party, Petras Auštrevičius of the Renew group, Anna Fotyga of the Conservatives, and others.
In discussions with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, they talked about joint efforts in international organizations and support for civil society, media, and democratic forces, with focus on better management and transparency, as well as support for the repressed and activists “on the ground.”
