Today, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz held a meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the Federal Chancellery in Vienna – Ms. Tsikhanouskaya was greeted as the leader of Belarus, and the meeting took place in the format of a one-on-one. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and Mr. Kurz discussed the implementation of the agreements of the last meeting in November and the current situation in Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also had a meeting today with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
During the meetings, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya:
– reported on the repressions against journalists, torture in prisons and recent political cases, and the Tsikhanousky-Losik-Statkevich case;
– drew attention to the need to increase pressure on Lukashenka's regime to release political prisoners and end the violence, and to use sanctions as an instrument of pressure;
– discussed the organization of negotiations with the possible mediation of Austria and other countries, the role of Austria in the organization of negotiations, the support of the Austrian Government for humanitarian programs for Belarusians, in particular programs for Belarusian artists and artists;
– thanked Austria for supporting the UN Human Rights Council's special resolution on the special mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Belarus and for supporting the launch of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB).
Also, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg discussed the adoption of the EU’s Comprehensive Plan of Assistance to Belarus and the EU’s fourth sanctions package, which is scheduled to be discussed on 10 May.
The working visit will continue in Italy, where Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will meet with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership and leaders of political parties.
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