Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Youth Policy and Students spoke with OST volunteers about her work
Last week, Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Youth Policy and Students and President of the RADA Youth Council, Marharyta Vorykhava, held an online meeting with the volunteers of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office. Ms. Vorykhava spoke about her work and projects, and also answered the volunteers’ questions about youth policy and youth as a target audience. Read […]
November 03, 2023
Belarus-Estonia Conference in Tallinn: program and agenda
The first Belarus-Estonia Conference in Tallinn, scheduled for November 10, will have the following program. 8:30-9:30 Registration, coffee time Conference Day Moderator: Marko Koplimaa, Estonia’s first Special Representative for the Democratic Forces of Belarus. 9:30-10:30 Keynote speeches, discussion The keynote speeches will be followed by a discussion moderated by Mr. Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director of […]
November 03, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced working visit to Berlin
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Next week, my team and I will be visiting Berlin. We will launch the Alliance “For a Democratic Belarus”, which will unite dozens of parliamentary groups from various countries. We will come together to develop a common strategy vis-a-vis Belarus. We will discuss how to support Belarusians not only in exile but also […]
November 03, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dziady has been an important day for Belarusians since ancient times”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dziady has been an important day for Belarusians since ancient times. Today, Belarusians follow the tradition and visit the graves of their relatives and friends. We feel warmth but also pain in our hearts when we remember our loved ones who are no longer with us. But the people of Belarus are all […]
November 02, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya answered Belarusians’ questions in Current Time interview
Readers of Current Time Belarus asked Ms. Tsikhanouskaya about her ways of coping with stress. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I do not cope with it, I live with it. I am not in any kind of therapy, I am my own psychoanalyst and psychologist. Maybe I am just used to it somehow and live in stress all the […]
November 01, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke on progress with new Belarusian passport
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Almost every day Belarusians tell me about problems with passports and legalization of stay abroad. They message me hoping to find out how the launch of the new Belarusian passport project is progressing. So I decided to share the latest news. Right now we are working on producing the first passport samples. We […]
November 01, 2023
First Belarus-Estonia Conference will take place in Tallinn on November 10
On November 10, Tallinn will host the first Belarus-Estonia Conference. The event is organized by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Estonian Institute of Human Rights, and the European Endowment for Democracy. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya agreed to hold the conference during […]
October 31, 2023
“Will daddy wish me a Happy Birthday?” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about her husband and children in interview
In an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Svaboda, the Belarusian leader spoke about Siarhei Tsikhanouski: “It has been 7 months now since I last heard from Siarhei. Lawyers cannot visit him in prison. Our children do not receive his letters. Ahniya draws pictures for her dad and asks about him every day. Her birthday is coming […]
October 30, 2023
United Transitional Cabinet launched One Contact Platform for Belarusians
Last week, the Social Policy Department of the United Transitional Cabinet launched an information and consultation platform named “One Contact”, where every Belarusian can receive free assistance. At the moment, the platform’s database includes 245 organizations that provide legal, medical, psychological, and financial assistance to Belarusians or are engaged in resolving various social issues. These […]
October 30, 2023
Digest of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office on Education and Science, October 2023
Please send information about everything related to education in Belarus to our secure anonymous chat bot: @eduOST_bot. Tell us the news from your educational institution or government department regarding repression and various forms of pressure from management, write to us about facts of corruption and new orders that seem unreasonable or irrational to you. We […]
October 29, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited exhibition by former political prisoner Asya Bulybenka
The art exhibition “Paznaka” (The Mark) is taking place at the Vilnius Belarusian Community and Culture Center, organized by former political prisoner Asya Bulybenka, one of the 12 people convicted in the “student case”. It marks the anniversary of her arrest during the March of Youth rally in Minsk in the fall of 2020. As […]
October 26, 2023
Latvian Saeima abstained from restricting Belarusian vehicles from entering Latvia
Last week, representatives of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office, Anatol Liabedzka and Vitaly Malchanau, met with the group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the Latvian Saeima (Parliament). As a result of the meeting, the Saeima Economic Policy Committee decided to abstain from banning vehicles with Belarusian license plates from entering the country. “During the meeting, we found […]
October 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office will finalize Concept of restitution for victims of regime with Belarusians’ feedback
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office, in cooperation with Belarusian human rights organizations, NGOs, attorneys, and former lawyers, has developed a draft Concept of restitution for the victims of the regime. Over the past month, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's team has released a number of materials explaining the main provisions of the Concept. Follow the links to read more about: […]
October 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s opening speech at the Aleksanteri Conference, University of Helsinki, 2023
“Dear friends, distinguished professors, researchers, and guests of the Aleksanteri Conference, I am glad that the University of Helsinki is hosting this conference. Finland has passed the difficult path of decolonization. For decades, the term Finlandization was used to describe the situation in my country, Belarus. Belarus was keeping its nominal independence while remaining in […]
October 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to Lithuanians: “We need to strengthen cooperation and see what unites us”
The Belarusian leader took part in the workshop “Belarus and Belarusians, 2020+” at Vilnius University. She joined Belarusian and Lithuanian experts and politicians to discuss the situation in our country, as well as Belarus-Lithuania relations. “Lukashenka’s and Putin’s regime will do all possible to destroy the Belarusian-Lithuanian friendship. We should look for what unites us […]
October 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended Canada Embassy opening in Vilnius
On October 24, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the opening of the Embassy of Canada in Vilnius, where Jeanette Sautner will be the Ambassador. In recent years, Canada has actively supported Belarusian civil society, women's and media initiatives, as well as the Belarus Initiative at Chatham House. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has met twice with Canadian Prime Minister […]
October 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the “Belarus and Belarusians, 2020+” Workshop in Vilnius University, 2023
“Dear friends, Lithuanians and Belarusians, This workshop is a great occasion to discuss the place of Belarus in Europe and Lithuanian-Belarusian relations. I’d like to thank Ms. Tatsiana Chulitskaia and Professor Korosteleva, as well as Vilnius University for hosting it. And especial thanks to professor Šešelgytė from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science. […]
October 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Youth Policy and Students Marharyta Vorykhava attended Belarusian students’ meeting with youth organizations
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, attended the meeting with youth organizations organized for students of the European Humanities University (EHU). The event was held by the EHU Center for Constitutionalism and Human Rights, whose representatives talked about their work and introduced students to numerous youth organizations and initiatives. Marharyta Vorykhava […]
October 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will attend workshop “Belarus and Belarusians, 2020+” at Vilnius University
On Tuesday, October 24, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will take part in the workshop “Belarus and Belarusians, 2020+: assessing prospects and challenges for the country’s democratic future”, where she will deliver a keynote address on the situation in the country and the priorities of the democratic forces’ work. The discussion is organized by the Institute of International […]
October 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Ingrida Šimonytė discussed simplifying legalization of stay for Belarusians in Lithuania
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė today to discuss the simplifying legalization of stay for Belarusians in Lithuania. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the initiative to extend the validity of residence permits from one to three years and expand the eligibility criteria for obtaining foreigners’ passports. The Belarusian leader thanked Ms. Šimonytė for the […]
October 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The EU is a safe space for Belarus to preserve its independence”
Yesterday, the Belarusian leader spoke at the Junge Union Forum in Braunschweig, Germany, which also featured the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, and other politicians. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya was accompanied by the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Valery Kavaleuski. “For us, […]
October 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at Junge Union of Germany Forum, 2023
Dear President Von der Leyen, Dear Mr. Johannes Winkel, Dear President Lidia Pereira, Dear Chairman Manfred Weber, Dear Ambassador Ron Prosor, Dear Chairman Daniel Caspary, Dear Mr. Max Mörseburg, Dear friends from Junge Union, It’s an honor to speak here before you, the future political elite of Germany. And congratulations on a successful “Germany Day”. […]
October 23, 2023
European Commission President to Belarusians: “We will stand by you for as long as your struggle for freedom continues”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Ursula von der Leyen met in Braunschweig, Germany, as part of the Junge Union’s “Germany Day”. The leaders attended the organization’s youth forum. Ursula von der Leyen expressed solidarity with Belarusians and democratic forces: “Sviatlana, we admire the courage of the Belarusian men and women imprisoned on political grounds. And we will […]
October 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Same as Moldova or Ukraine, we see the future of Belarus in the European Union”
During her speech, at the Women Forum in Chișinău, the Belarusian leader expressed her support for the European aspirations of Moldovans and Ukrainians and mentioned the decision of democratic forces to seek a European perspective for Belarus. “Both our countries have suffered a lot during the Soviet occupation. The oppressors conducted experiments with our national […]
October 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Maia Sandu discussed cooperation on international stage
On October 20-21, the Belarusian leader is on a visit to Moldova for the first time at the invitation of President Maia Sandu. Today, the two leaders discussed the situation in Moldova and Belarus, as well as closer cooperation on the international stage. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the democratic forces' decision to seek a European […]
October 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “There’s nothing in any public office made “for men only”… And if there is, there must be something wrong with this office”
The Belarusian leader took part in the International Women Forum in Chișinău, which gathered more than 170 participants, including Moldovan President Maia Sandu and former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė. In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted the important role of women in politics and told the stories of politically imprisoned Belarusian women, whom the regime deliberately […]
October 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at Moldova Women Forum, 2023
Dear President Sandu, Dear President Grybauskaite, Dear Mrs. Danuta Hübner, Dear friends, Let me congratulate the organizers of this Forum. I am so proud to see so many powerful women in this room. In times of war, it is obvious that more women in politics will mean more empathy, humanity and wisdom in our decisions. […]
October 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Speaker of Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu
As part of her first official visit to Moldova, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Speaker of Parliament, Igor Grosu. During the meeting, they agreed to bilaterally support the European perspective of Belarus and Moldova on all international platforms. The parties also discussed Moldovan-Belarusian cooperation in developing draft laws for future Belarus. Moldova has experience in […]
October 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with group “For a Democratic Belarus” in Parliament of Moldova
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, joined by her Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, and Advisor for the Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, held a meeting with the group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the Parliament of Moldova. Moldovan MPs joined the Belarusian side for a campaign in support of the Belarusian political prisoners and signed postcards for […]
October 21, 2023