Today Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani. During the meeting, they discussed the stationing of nuclear weapons in Belarus and the response from the West, as well as the situation with political prisoners, many of whom are incommunicado.
- Here are the brief results of the meeting:
– Italy will continue granting visas to Belarusians and scholarships for Belarusian students, as well as accepting children from repressed families for rehabilitation.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Italy to help Belarusian volunteer fighters in Ukraine and support cultural initiatives that strengthen the Belarusian identity. The minister assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya of Italy's support for democratic forces and civil society in Belarus.
– The Belarusian leader suggested transferring the frozen assets of people associated with the regime this week to support the Belarusian political prisoners.
— Italy is ready to support the investigation into the deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus and the regime’s complicity in these crimes. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya pointed out that the Wagner Group has been recognized as a criminal and terrorist group, and suggested that the Lukashenka regime be recognized as a sponsor of terrorism.
– Two paragraphs in the final declaration of the NATO Summit are expected to focus on Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya invited the minister to join the side events on Belarus during the NATO summit. She also invited the minister to jointly organize a side event during the UN General Assembly.
– Italy has abstained from sending an ambassador to Minsk and will reduce its diplomatic presence to the level of an envoy.
