“Dear President Theodoros Rousopoulos,
Dear Secretary General Buric,
Honorable Members of the Assembly,
I want to thank you all for your support and solidarity with the Belarusian people.
We all came from different countries. We might belong to different parties. But what brings us here together is a commitment to human rights, democracy, and peace.
These are the very values that the Council of Europe holds so dear.
Let me congratulate Rapporteur Kimmo Kiljunen and the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for the brilliant report on the democratic future of Belarus.
I hope every European politician will read this report and will put it into action.
Because it’s not just perfect snapshot of the drastic situation inside the country. It shows the concrete steps that need to be taken in order to free Belarus of tyranny and integrate it into the European community.
When we speak about a democratic future for Belarus, we speak about the democratic future for the whole of Europe.
Today, the fate of freedom and democracy is being decided in our region. It is being decided on the battlefields of Ukraine but also in Belarus.
Tyranny is trying to take revenge, enslave our nations, and destroy our values.
Tyrants can put people in jail, destroy cities, and blackmail us with nuclear weapons. But they will never, I repeat, never crush the freedom-loving spirit of Belarusian and Ukrainian people.
One of these freedom-loving Belarusians was Mihas Zhyzneuski. Exactly ten years ago he came to support Ukrainians at Euromaidan. He was shot by snipers. One of the first to die for Ukraine’s freedom.
Like Mihas, dozens of Belarusians lost their lives fighting for Ukraine and for a free Belarus. We, Belarusians, understand that by fighting for Ukraine, we are also fighting for Belarus.
The fates of our countries are intertwined. Without victory in Ukraine, a free Belarus is not possible. And without a free Belarus, there can be no lasting peace in Europe.
Dear friends,
This morning started for me with horrifying news of new arrests. The regime carried out mass searches and detentions in the homes of families of political prisoners. Some former political prisoners were also rearrested.
One of those arrested is Maryna Adamovich, the wife of Mikalai Statkevich, the leader of Belarusian social-democrats. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and has been held incommunicado for one year already.
Regime detains ordinary citizens just for sending parcels of food and clothing. They arrest them because they support those already behind bars. And they punish them for sending donations to Ukraine. In Belarus solidarity is a crime.
Another woman was detained because the regime found a white-red-white flag in her house. Her house was crashed, but not her spirit.
I can’t stop admiring my people, who despite repressions and terror, continue to fight. To resist. And to help each other.
The regime did not manage to turn the page. It did not manage to convince people to enter the war against Ukraine.
We learned to work underground. People join initiatives, build communities, and demonstrate their desire for change.
The desire is there, but people need vision: what they are fighting for. What will be after Lukashenka? What kind of Constitution will our country have? Will Belarus move to Europe or remain in the Russian orbit?
People need these answers, and we have to give them. We already drafted the constitution and a new election law.
We must make sure that tyranny will never happen again in Belarus.
We must make sure that Belarus will not be given to Russia as a consolation prize.
Dear friends,
We are living in a very dangerous moment in our history. However, this moment also gives Belarus the opportunity to turn the tide, and make our country part of the European family.
We are living through unconventional times. We need unconventional solutions.
We need bold leaders and institutions that are able to confront tyrannies. And I believe that the Council of Europe is one of them.
Speaking to you here in 2022, I called for stronger cooperation between the Council of Europe and democratic forces.
I said that we need more Council of Europe in the lives of Belarusians and more Belarus in the Council of Europe.
And you have heard my call.
You invited Belarusian political parties to participate in the Political Committee of PACE. This is the place where our parties can learn from you, share information and gain experience.
You provided Belarusians with their own premises here – in the Palace of Europe.
Most importantly,
You have stopped any cooperation with the illegitimate dictator. I applaud Secretary General Marija Buric, her team and the Member States, for the decision to launch the Contact group with democratic forces and civil society.
The creation of the Contact Group was truly ground-breaking for our movement. It was the first time that Belarus’s democratic forces formalized relationships with international organizations.
Today, I heard that the contact group agreed to the two-year Action plan that will integrate Belarus into the work of the Council of Europe.
Today, I ask you to go further in our cooperation.
I propose the Council of Europe to start developing a roadmap for the accession of future democratic Belarus to the Council of Europe. We can outline the steps and reforms required and start working on them now.
You have invaluable expertise, and we have invaluable desire to become a part of the Council of Europe.
Joining the Council of Europe will be our first step on our path to the European Union.
I know it’s bold. I know it’s ambitious. But I don’t know any reason why not start doing this now.
When a window of opportunity appears – and it will – we must be prepared. To get Belarus out of Russian claws. To rebuild our country. To restore democratic institutions.
And I am sure that at this critical moment, the Council of Europe and its Assembly will be on our side.
Belarus will be a success story. Putin will be defeated. Lukashenka will be defeated. And we will return our country back to Europe, where it historically belongs.
Dear friends,
I came here today to say that we need you, and we need each other.
We must continue to lead the fight against tyranny and oppression.
And let me assure you – we will not stop. Belarusians will not stop. Until all political prisoners are released. Until every Russian soldier leaves our country. Until we hold trials for crimes against humanity. Until we get our country back.
This is not an easy fight but thanks to you, thanks to your passion, thanks to YOUR continued support – I know that WE all will win.
We are and we will be one family. One European family”.
