Yesterday, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a meeting with Armin Laschet, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The meeting took place for about one hour in tête-à-tête format. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and Mr. Laschet spoke of the situation with Raman Pratasevich, the terrorist act of hijacking a plane, and the reaction of the European Council and the United States to the incident. Leader of democratic Belarus called on the German Government and Armin Laschet to be bolder and more consistent in taking strong restrictive measures against Lukashenka, his accomplices, propagandists, and judges who handed down unjust sentences.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya supported the EU proposal to impose sanctions on sectors of the economy under the control of the Lukashenka regime. Armin Laschet, in a statement to the media after the meeting, reiterated the need to maximize pressure on the regime and expressed support for the introduction of new, broader sanctions.
Assistance to civil society was also mentioned at the meeting. It is important to make existing programs more effective so that repressed Belarusian students can quickly receive scholarships, and artists or doctors who come to Germany for assistance can safely relocate and receive support. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed with the politician the recent decision of Germany to support independent Belarusian media and, in particular, the Belarusian program of Deutsche Welle, which increased broadcasting on Youtube and Telegram.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and Mr. Laschet issued a joint press statement in which the Minister-President supported the fight of Belarusians for freedom, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Mr. Laschet for what he is doing and will do for our country.
