On August 23, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held talks in the Lithuanian Seimas with Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen. The meeting focused on the situation with political prisoners in Belarus, the presence of Wagner mercenaries, potential border closures, and a law that could potentially synchronize migration restrictions against Belarusians and Russians.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya urged the speaker to abstain from synchronizing restrictions against Belarusians and Russians, as this would only play into the hands of Lukashenka and Putin's propaganda and harm Belarusians. The speaker expressed hope that the Seimas would uphold its spring decision to introduce different levels of restrictions. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed to equalize sanctions against the Lukashenka and Putin regimes but maintain a different approach to citizens of Belarus and Russia. The Seimas will consider the new law early in its autumn session.
The Belarusian leader also drew attention to the need to maintain passenger traffic so that Belarusians could cross the border. “We need to isolate the regime, not the people,” she noted.
Ms. Čmilytė-Nielsen and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also discussed the need for a broad expert discussion on Belarusian-Lithuanian relations and historical heritage.
“I am grateful to Speaker Čmilytė and the Lithuanian Seimas for their balanced decision in the spring. I hope that the decision will remain in force. I am aware that the situation is changing, making the Lukashenka regime an increasingly greater threat to all of Belarus’ neighbors, but we need to look for solutions that minimize harm to Belarusians because it will only benefit the dictator. We will talk to all parties and all Lithuanian institutions to convey our position. We need to maintain the friendly relations that we have succeeded in building so far. We need to explain to Lithuanian society that it is not Belarusians who pose a threat, but the regime and its accomplices. There is a big difference between them,” said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
