The meeting was held on January 30 in Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office premises in Vilnius and was also attended by the United Transitional Cabinet Representative for Foreign Affairs and the Office’s Foreign Policy Department, as well as members of the US diplomatic mission.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the situation of political prisoners, prison conditions, recent trials, and persecution of journalists and activists. She also shared her vision regarding the potential involvement of Belarusian troops in the war against Ukraine. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that preventing it is a priority for the democratic forces and spoke about the measures the Cabinet has taken in this direction.
Representatives of the US State Department assured Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya of unequivocal support for the democratic forces of Belarus. Robin Dunnigan announced the US would appoint a special envoy to cooperate with the actors of Belarus’ democratic movement. Work on that is underway.
The meeting focused on working out a new proactive strategy for Belarus and holding an intergovernmental meeting of partner countries supporting the democratic forces. A new strategy should include measures to defend Belarus' independence and ensure the withdrawal of Russian troops, further isolate the Lukashenka regime, and support democratic change.
The parties also discussed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's possible visit to Washington this spring and high-level meetings with representatives of the US leadership. Ms. Tsikhanouskay expressed gratitude for the invitation to speak at the Summit for Democracy organized by President Biden.
The meeting’s agenda also included joint actions to prevent the regime's membership in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, and the participation of democratic Belarus in the UN General Assembly and G7 events.
