In The Hague, on the sidelines of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the OSCE Secretary General, Roberto Montella, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President, Pere Joan Pons. She was joined by a delegation of the democratic forces of Belarus, including representatives of her Office, the United Transitional Cabinet, the Coordination Council, and political parties.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the establishment of the Interparliamentary Group “For a Democratic Belarus” within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which has already been joined by MPs from 20 countries. The group will promote Belarus-related issues within the Assembly, organize events dedicated to Belarus, and advance support for the Belarusian democratic agenda.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Pere Joan Pons and the national delegations for enabling the Belarusian delegation to work as a shadow delegation and for providing it with the opportunity to participate in the Assembly’s activities. She welcomed the fact that the voice of Belarusian society — not the regime — is represented within the OSCE. The Belarusian leader expressed hope that the situation in Belarus would change and that the OSCE’s significance as a platform for dialogue would increase for the country’s future democratic transition.
The sides discussed the draft resolution on Belarus before its consideration. They also addressed the possibility of organizing Belarus-related events during the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s winter session.
