During a visit to Madrid, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, held a meeting with the State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío.
The parties identified key areas of cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus and discussed pressing international and humanitarian issues, the situation of political prisoners, as well as the sanctions of the European Union and Spain against the Lukashenka regime.
A separate topic of the meeting was the opening of a Mission of Democratic Belarus in Madrid, which could become an important coordination hub for the activities of the democratic forces and for supporting Belarusians in Spain.
Mr. Kuchynski handed over to Mr. Martínez Belío a document outlining existing problems and possible ways to address them. The document was prepared based on proposals from Belarusians living in Spain. Particular attention was paid to the recognition of expired Belarusian passports for those who cannot return to Belarus to renew them, as well as to the development of national guidelines for Spanish authorities when considering residency procedures.
State Secretary Martínez Belío confirmed that he understands the complexity of the issues raised and is giving them personal attention. He expressed readiness to support efforts to resolve them and to submit the necessary appeals aimed at supporting Belarusians in Spain.
Dzianis Kuchynski: “I specifically flew to Madrid to hold a high-level meeting with the State Secretary, who is the second-in-command to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain. Our conversation lasted almost three hours – this shows how seriously the Spanish side views cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus, as well as the problems faced by Belarusians. We agreed on practical next steps regarding possible support for Belarusians living in Spain. Diego Martínez Belío assured us that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to assist in advancing and resolving these issues together with other state bodies”.
At the Spanish Parliament, Dzianis Kuchynski and the future Head of the Mission of the Democratic Belarus in Madrid,Tatsiana Marinich, met with members of Congress to discuss possible avenues for further cooperation and support for the Belarusian community. In addition to supporting the Belarusian diaspora in Spain, one of the future Mission’s focus areas will be humanitarian assistance for the rehabilitation of former Belarusian political prisoners near Alicante, jointly with Imaguru, A Country to Live In Foundation, the International Humanitarian Fund, and other organizations. Spain has already allocated €50,000 to the International Humanitarian Fund. During the meeting with State Secretary Diego Martínez Belío, Dzianis Kuchynski also discussed the continuation of this support.
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