Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a working call with Marc Garneau, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. Mr. Garneau is the new minister appointed after François-Philippe Champagne, with whom Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met in Vilnius in October 2020 and, afterward, repeatedly discussed the situation in Belarus.
In a conversation with Minister Garneau, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the ongoing violence against peaceful protesters, including arbitrary detentions and the inhumane conditions of prisons and detention centers where the political prisoners are held. Tsikhanouskaia called on Canada to take a firm stance of pressure on the Lukashenka regime as well as to coordinate their stance with the EU and the United States.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaia and Mr. Garneau also discussed:
– the role of the OSCE and Russia in the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Belarus;
– the support for human rights defenders, the repressed, and the independent media;
– the possibilities of increasing the pressure on Lukashenka’s regime, including through sanctions and freezing the assets of the regime's accomplices.
Canada actively and openly supports Belarusians in their quest for freedom. It has not recognized the legitimacy of Lukashenka and has joined sanctions and support programs.
