FREEDOM DAY. On March 25, Belarusians celebrated Freedom Day all around the world. On this occasion, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Belarusian people: “All these years made us appreciate our Belarusian solidarity. As long as we stand together and do not give up, we keep moving step by step towards our victory”. Later, the Belarusian leader thanked all Belarusians who participated in the celebration of Freedom Day.
On the eve of this date, rallies and marches took place all around the world, organized by the Belarusian diaspora. On the same day, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the international community to join the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus. Representatives of more than 20 countries made official statements or resolutions, including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, and others.
VISIT TO CZECH REPUBLIC. As part of her visit to the Czech Republic, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of the Czech Republic, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education, the Minister for European Affairs, and the President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague. She also addressed ambassadors and diplomats from 20 countries at the Lithuanian Embassy in Prague. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya launched a memorial plaque dedicated to Francysk Skaryna, laid flowers at the graves of the presidents of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, and, together with the Speaker of the Czech Parliament, laid flowers at the monument to Czech dissident Milada Horáková.
During the meetings, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed easing migration restrictions against Belarusians, especially the relatives of those living in the Czech Republic and students, expanding visa issuance, supporting independent media and civil society, and holding the regime accountable. The Belarusian leader called for appointing special envoys for relations with democratic Belarus.
LAUNCH OF OFFICE IN PRAGUE. In Prague, the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces was officially launched. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský, and the Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, took part in the ceremony. Kryścina Šyjanok was appointed to head the office. Similar offices of Belarus democratic forces are already operating in Brussels, Kyiv, and Tallinn.
BELARUS-SWEDEN. Sweden will accept applications for residence permits from Belarusians who do not have a valid Belarusian passport or other documents that cannot be obtained without having to return to Belarus. This is stated in a special legal position by the Swedish government.
CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE. The Belarusian leader visited Strasbourg, where she addressed the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya talked about reform projects for Belarus and highlighted the areas in which European partners can assist Belarusians: rehabilitation for repressed individuals and Belarusian soldiers in Ukraine; internships for youth and scholarships for students; reform preparation; and support for the European perspective for Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s team made a summary of the main points articulated in the leader’s speech.
MEETING WITH PARENTS OF BELARUSIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN. On March 29, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with a group of parents of Belarusian schoolchildren who have campaigned for more Belarusian language instruction available in lower grades in Vilnius. The meeting was also attended by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Tatiana Shchyttsova, and Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava.
The parents appealed to the Belarusian leader to support their efforts to expand enrollment in the lower grades at the Francysk Skaryna Gymnasium, which is currently the only school in Lithuania with instruction in Belarusian. During the conversation, the parties discussed the need for integration programs for Belarusian children in Lithuania, Lithuanian language courses for teachers, and textbooks in Belarusian.
EASTER. On March 31, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya wished all Belarusians a Happy Easter: “Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!.. Today we greet each other with these words, and they fill us with hope. We will endure, persevere, and pass through this dark valley”.
NEW BELARUSIAN PASSPORT. The Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Valery Kavaleuski, gave an interview to Nasha Niva, responding to the most pressing inquiries regarding the development of the new Belarusian passport and progress with its issuance. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s team prepared a summary of the most important statements made by Mr. Kavaleuski.
BELARUS-LATVIA. The organization FreeBelarus, the Belarusian women’s NGO “Māra” and the Office of the Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will participate in the summer Conversation Festival LAMPA in Cēsis (Latvia). The main mission of the LAMPA festival is to strengthen the culture of democracy, debate and respectful conversations in Latvia. Any non-governmental organization or initiative from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, interested in organizing events within the Belarusian program, is welcome to propose suggestions for the festival program. More details are available at the link.
MEDIA. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to DenikN (Czech Republic), Radio Svaboda (Belarus) (1, 2), and Belsat (Belarus) (1, 2, 3).
Additionally, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, and the Belarusian leader released a joint statement dedicated to March 25 in the history of Belarus and Estonia: “We believe that we all must take decisive action against today’s dictatorships. The struggle for freedom in Belarus, the fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the defense of democratic values are not isolated challenges but interconnected battles in the global fight for human dignity and freedom”.
