Vilnius has welcomed tens of thousands of Belarusians, as well as hundreds of civil society organizations, private businesses, and independent media. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya expressed her gratitude to the city and its Mayor's Office for their support – allocating spaces for Belarusian organizations and sponsoring various concerts and cultural events.
The Belarusian leader asked the Mayor to support the Belarusian civic spaces in Vilnius, such as the Belarusian Council for Culture, the Belarusian House, the Francysk Skaryna Gymnasium, and others. The Belarusian leader emphasized the importance of Belarusians maintaining connections to their culture and preserving their identity.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya proposed launching additional Belarusian language classes for Belarusian children in Vilnius schools and holding a meeting with the parents of Belarusian children in Vilnius. She also asked the Mayor to facilitate the integration of Belarusians into city life, in particular by inviting Belarusian organizations to festivals and events.
Mr. Benkunskas and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya separately discussed support for Belarusian volunteer fighters in Ukraine. With the support of the Mayor of Vilnius, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office and the United Transitional Cabinet have previously delivered non-lethal aid to fighters.
At the end of the meeting, the Belarusian leader handed over to the Mayor a number of requests from the Belarusian religious community in Vilnius.
