Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will travel to Berlin and Brussels on December 13-16 to work on achieving the most pressing policy agenda item: to stop violence and lawlessness against Belarusians. This will be the first step to a political dialogue leading to the resolution of the political crisis in Belarus and new presidential elections.
In Berlin, Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya will meet with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble, Vice-President of the Bundestag Claudia Roth, heads of committees on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, Norbert Röttgen and Gyde Jensen, respectively. She will also meet with Jan Hecker, Foreign Policy Advisor to Chancellor Merkel.
Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya is invited to attend the ecumenical prayer and participate in a panel discussion at the Berlin Cathedral. She also will participate in the solidarity action of the Belarusian diaspora, RAZAM and have a meeting with Sviatlana Alexievich, Nobel Prize in Literature recipient.
In Brussels, Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya will meet with Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander de Croo and will have a series of meetings in the EU structures: Josep Borrell, the EU Minister of Foreign Affairs, Věra Jourová, EC Vice President on Values and Transparency, Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, and Eamon Gilmore, EU Special Representative for Human Rights.
She will have a series of meetings with the European Parliament (EP) members and political groups, including David Maria Sassoli, President of the EP, Vice President of the EP Heidi Hautala, Petras Austrevicius, the rapporteur on Belarus in the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya will participate in the events dedicated to presenting the Sakharov Prize which this year is awarded to a group of Belarusians as a recognition for their aspirational pursuit of freedom.
She is also invited to address a joint meeting of the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Development, Human Rights, as well as the Delegation for Relations with Belarus in the European Parliament.
During her trip, Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya is scheduled to have multiple interviews and media engagements.
