Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Senior Political Advisor, Alexander Dabravolski, and Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, met with the Director of Political Affairs and External Relations of the Council of Europe, Miroslav Papa.
The meeting was held on the occasion of the launch of the Information Point on the Council of Europe for Belarus in Vilnius. Such information points raise awareness about the CoE activities, including about conventions signed by member states that serve as guidelines for many countries’ policies. Essentially, belonging to the Council of Europe means belonging to the family of civilized states and is an important step towards Belarus’ European future.
A similar institution previously existed in Minsk at the Belarusian State University, though most people could not access it because of the university’s security arrangements. Its activities were limited due to the lack of interest from the Belarusian authorities in expanding cooperation with the Council of Europe.
Therefore, the information point in Vilnius will focus on reaching out to ordinary people. This will help Belarusians understand how such large structures actually work. This initiative will serve as an example of an organization that is open, honest, and accountable.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Senior Political Advisor, Alexander Dabravolski, notes that this is the first and clear step towards promoting the European perspective for Belarus:
“Information centers, besides raising awareness, participate in Council of Europe campaigns and organize events for experts, politicians, and civil society. The launch of this point in Vilnius will be a very important step to set our country on the path towards the community of civilized states”.
