Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met in Brussels with the Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto.
Within his mandate, Executive Vice-President Fitto is also responsible for cross-border projects. He observed that the European Union had previously maintained active cooperation with Belarus; however, this was suspended due to the actions of the Lukashenka regime, including its repressive measures and its involvement in the war. He emphasized that, following democratic changes in Belarus, the country’s authorities, institutions, and local governments would regain eligibility for European Union funding. Such support could amount to hundreds of millions of euros.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed that preparations for a post-transition Belarus must begin now. When democratic changes occur, Belarus will need the European Union’s support to carry out reforms and rebuild the country. She proposed starting work with the European Commission on identifying potential areas and projects for cooperation.
She also recalled the European Union’s Economic Support Plan for a Democratic Belarus, announced by President Ursula von der Leyen, which envisages up to €3 billion for economic reforms in Belarus after democratic change.
