STRATEGIC DIALOGUE. From December 6 to 8, negotiations took place in Washington within the framework of the Belarus–USA Strategic Dialogue. The Belarusian side was represented by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the United Transitional Cabinet, the Coordination Council, the Viasna Human Rights Center, the BEROC think-tank, the Press Club Belarus, the EuroBelarus NGO, the Workers’ Movement, the Association of Belarusians in America (ABA), the Cyber Partisans, Association of Belarusian Business Abroad (ABBA) and independent media.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that the Strategic Dialogue would take cooperation between the USA and Belarus’ democratic forces to a new level. It aimed to discuss human rights issues, ways to achieve the release of political prisoners, develop Belarus’ private sector, protect Belarus’ sovereignty from the Russian threat, as well as resolve the visa and migration issues faced by Belarusians. Read more about the results of the Strategic Dialogue at the links: first, second, and third days.
Following the Strategic Dialogue, working groups will be formed to address the following issues: political prisoners, sanctions against the regime, and support for media and civil society. The US is also expected to appoint a special envoy for Belarus and expand the USAID activities in Vilnius.
US VISIT. On December 4, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Yale University, where she addressed the students and experts alongside historian Timothy Snyder, who specializes in the history of Central and Eastern Europe.
On December 5, the Belarusian leader spoke before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives during a hearing on Belarus. Watch the recording on YouTube.
In Washington, the Belarusian leader received the George Bush and Margaret Thatcher Award for Freedom. In her speech, she dedicated the award to political prisoners in Belarus, including Ales Bialiatski, Maryia Kalesnikava, Mikalai Kazlou, Ryhor Kastusiou, Mikalai Statkevich, and Artsiom Liabedzka.
During the visit, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met with the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, to discuss the possibility of appointing a UK special envoy for Belarus and initiating a strategic dialogue between the two countries. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also met with representatives of 8 countries at the IMF. The parties discussed plans for the transformation of the Belarusian economy, including pension reform, privatization patterns, and the green transition.
GREEN ECONOMY CONCEPT. The Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE), in collaboration with the Economic Team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, presented the Belarus Green Economy Concept and a series of reform projects. Read more about the steps toward the green economy and explore the Concept on the website belarusgreeneconomy.eu/.
REGIME’S SHAM ELECTION. On December 8, the Lukashenka regime announced the establishment of a fund for additional financing of expenses for the preparation and conduct of its 2024 “election” on the “Single voting day”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented: “Belarusians are asked to pay out of their own pockets for the deception that the regime officials call an ‘election’”. She discouraged Belarusians from participating in the regime’s campaign. She also proposed 5 ways to respond to the so-called “Single voting day”.
CROSS-PARTY FORUM IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. On December 6, the Cross-Party Forum “8+100” took place in Brussels, involving speakers from the European Parliament and representatives of Belarusian and European political parties. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech during the forum, highlighting that Belarus can truly be free and independent only as part of the European Union. Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya for Interparliamentary Cooperation and the Constitutional Reform, Anatoli Liabedzka, commented on the results of the forum.
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY. On the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, the Belarusian leader thanked all Belarusians who honestly support people in need. Not only close ones and friends but also people they do not know. “I am happy to see that Belarusian solidarity did not end in 2020. Dear volunteers, you are a shining example of the solidarity that everyone talks about. You embody the Belarusian solidarity. Only together can we build a new Belarus, where initiative and mutual assistance are welcomed and encouraged, and everyone feels responsible for their country and makes it better”, noted Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in her address.
SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS. On December 7, a rally in solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners took place near the European Parliament. It was organized by representatives of Belarusian political parties and the Belarusian diaspora in Belgium. The rally was joined by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor, Anatoli Liabedzka, Head of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Belarus, Juozas Olekas, and Moldovan MP, member of group “For a Democratic Belarus”, Vitali Gavrouc.
SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. Tatsiana Shchyttsova, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, took part in a scientific congress in Philadelphia. The 55th Congress of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies discussed decolonization. Ms. Shchyttsova noted: “The fact that I was invited to speak for Belarus had significant symbolic meaning. It signaled special attention to our country. This is why, for me, this discussion was an excellent space to highlight Belarus as a topic for scientific research”.
OFFICE’S INTERNATIONAL WORK. Dzianis Kuchynski, Diplomatic Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, shared insights into the work of the Foreign Policy Department of the Office. In a video, he discussed the behind-the-scenes work of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s participation in the Web Summit, a major European tech conference, where she met with the leadership of Wikipedia and Alibaba.com.
MEDIA. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to The Washington Post (USA), Voice of America (USA, International), NPR (USA), TV3 (Latvia), Kas Jauns (Latvia), and 15 min (Lithuania).
