Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Chief Advisor, Franak Viacorka, and Representative in the Estonian Republic and the Republic of Latvia, Vitaly Malchanau, held meetings in Tallinn with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, members of Riigikogu (Parliament), the leader of the group “For a Democratic Belarus”, Urmas Reinsalu, and the US Ambassador to Estonia, George P. Kent. Mr. Viacorka presented proposals from the democratic forces to ease restrictions on cars with Belarusian license plates, strengthen sanctions against the regime to close loopholes, address the migration crisis, and discuss the EU’s policy vis-a-vis Belarus.
Franak Viacorka: “Estonia is open to dialogue with Belarus’ democratic forces. During the meetings, we agreed on several exemptions for the entry of Belarusian cars, primarily for humanitarian reasons. We also discussed the procedures for re-registering cars owned by Belarusians already residing in the EU. The actual number of Belarusian-registered vehicles entering Estonia is quite small. We propose that Estonia adopt the exemptions implemented by Poland, allowing cars to enter if the Belarusian owner is present in the vehicle.
We also requested a simplification of the legalization of stay for Belarusians. While the current legislation is quite strict for all foreigners, we are still seeking solutions. Additionally, we discussed closing loopholes in the EU sanctions. The latest sanctions package has significantly impacted the regime, and it is searching for new loopholes to continue trading. We also talked about individual sanctions against the accomplices of the regime, including propagandists, officials, and judges, and ways to hold the regime accountable.
In the fall, we intend to hold a major Belarusian-Estonian historical conference at the University of Tartu, as well as a series of cultural events”.
