On May 16, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received a delegation from Flanders in her office in Vilnius. The delegation included Minister-President Jan Jambon, General Representative Thomas Castrel, Chief of Staff Jeroen Overmeer, Deputy Chief of Staff Jan Smedts, and Diplomatic Advisor Pol Van Den Driessche.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and the Flemish delegation discussed:
- rehabilitation and recreation programs for political prisoners and their families;
- assistance for Belarusian military volunteers fighting for Ukraine as part of the Anti-War Movement;
- a permanent Representative Office of the Belarusian democratic forces in Brussels, which could help Belarus stay on the international agenda, as well as draw international attention to the need to distinguish between Belarusians and the regime;
- ways to support civil society under the regime's pressure.
Flanders has been providing assistance to Belarusian civil society, human rights defenders, and think tanks. It has contributed to a number of cultural events through its Embassy in Warsaw.
Photo: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Jan Jambon
