«A free Belarus will be the strongest protection against Putin». Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna, 2023
«Dear President Margareta Cederfelt, Dear Secretary General Roberto Montella, Excellencies, Dear friends, It is an honour and privilege to address you today on behalf of Belarusian people who continue to fight fearlessly for freedom and democratic values. It is important that the voice of Belarus is heard. We share the values of the OSCE Parliamentary […]
February 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed cooperation with Austria’s Parliament Speaker
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of Austria's National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka. This was the first meeting between the politicians. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Austrian Parliament, embodied in the Speaker, for not recognizing the Lukashenko regime and supporting the democratic forces, maintaining parliamentary initiatives and adopting resolutions condemning the regime and its involvement in the […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has agreed on the format of assistance from the Austrian Ministry of Justice to Belarusians
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a working meeting with the Minister of Justice of Austria, Dr. Alma Zadić. They discussed the following issues: opening cases under the universal jurisdiction in Austria; initiating a preliminary investigation in the International Criminal Court into the crimes of the regime; providing training for Belarusian human rights defenders and lawyers on international […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya responded to Lukashenka’s statement about the inevitability of war
Today, Lukashenka stated that Russia's attack on Ukraine was supposedly inevitable. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on his words: “The only thing that was inevitable was Lukashenka's involvement in the war, as he cannot say 'no' to his 'big brother.' This war could have been easily avoided by not starting it in the first place. And certainly […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the OSCE ambassadors and called for invoking the Moscow Mechanism for Belarus
38 ambassadors from OSCE countries participated in the hearings organized by the delegations of Sweden, the United States, Lithuania, and the European Union. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech calling on the OSCE to reinvoke the Moscow Mechanism for Belarus regarding the humanitarian catastrophe, mass human rights violations, and the regime's complicity in war. The Moscow […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig to launch a program for cultural figures and support independent trade unions
The meeting took place on February 23 at the Vienna City Hall and was Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's first meeting with the mayor. Representatives of the Belarusian diaspora also attended. They discussed supporting the Belarusian diaspora in Vienna, as well as organizing events and book exhibitions dedicated to Belarus. They also discussed launching exchanges or residences for […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Siarhei’s 1000 days behind bars
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today marks one thousand days since the unlawful detention of Siarhei. One thousand days where I am certain my beloved husband is much stronger than he ever thought he could be. And every day of those thousand, I miss him, as thousands of Belarusians miss their loved ones. The release of political prisoners is […]
February 23, 2023
Speech for the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debate “European Neighborhood Policy — the Belarusian way”
Dear EESC President Christa Schweng, members, dear friends, I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Belarusian people. I want to thank the European Economic and Social Committee for inviting me and for organizing this important debate. I want to thank you for your attention to the situation in Belarus. I am […]
February 23, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Brussels to support exiled Belarusian businesses, advocate for Belarus’ independence, and include democratic Belarus in the Eastern Partnership
On February 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. Her speech was heard by over 300 delegates from 27 countries, including representatives from the private sector, trade unions, and civil society. During her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: talked about the criminal cases against Ales Bialiatski and Viasna human rights defenders, Ihar […]
February 22, 2023
After the meeting with an authorized representative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, Tartu and Tallinn Universities will start accepting Belarusian students again
Today, Vitaly Malchanau, an authorized representative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office, held a meeting with representatives of the University of Tartu (Estonia). The topic of the meeting were cooperation issues between the parties. Representatives of the university showed confidence in the democratic community of Belarus and confirmed that the aforementioned university will be accepting students from […]
February 21, 2023
“Supporting Belarusian content-makers, not their Russian counterparts.” What is it like to actually have a native language? — Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech for the Native Language Day in Belarus
Today, on the Native Language Day, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a video speech for Belarusians. The translation is provided below: “Today is the Native Language Day. Which language is your native one? And which language do you speak on a daily basis? The majority of the Belarusians probably responded with “Russian” to the latter question. Some […]
February 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Euronest PA, 2023
“Dear co-chairs, European parliamentarians, Сolleagues from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan Dear friends, I am honored to speak at the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on behalf of the Belarusian people. And I am happy to see here the Belarus delegation – not Lukashenka’s regime's cronies, but those representatives who fearlessly fight for freedom in our […]
February 20, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has met the representatives of Google and YouTube and asked them for their assistance in the fight against Belarusian language discrimination
The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the Joint Transitional Office, Leslie Miller, the Vice President of Government Affairs at YouTube and Annette Kroeber-Riehl, the Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Google. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expanded upon the problems that Belarusian journalists face while using Google and YouTube services. During the […]
February 19, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with Urmas Reinsalu, the Foreign Minister of Estonia
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the minister for his help in resolving visa and migration issues that Belarusians were faced with. Several agreements were achieved: – In the coming weeks, Estonia's special diplomatic representative for relations with the democratic Belarus will arrive in Vilnius. Said representative will work alongside Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Joint Transitional Cabinet. – […]
February 19, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met up with Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, at the Munich Security Conference
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Nancy Pelosi discussed the need for stable support of Belarus, namely the support of the civilian society and independent media, in particular Radio Svaboda, which is funded by the US Congress. Pelosi accepted an invitation to speak at the Kalinovski Forum in Washington on March 23rd and agreed to facilitate hearings in […]
February 19, 2023
Participation in the Munich Security Conference, discussion of the future of security and common strategy in the region with European partners. Progress report of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her Office for February 13-18th, 2023
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a press conference that marked 6 months of the creation of the United Transitional Cabinet. There, the reports on the work of the representatives were showcased. – On February 16-19th, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took a business trip to Germany, where she took part in the Munich Security Conference. She met […]
February 19, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the Munich Security Conference: “Belarus must leave the CSTO and Union State”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I believe democratic changes in Belarus will become the best reinforcement for Ukraine's victory. Today I want to share our vision of changes in Belarus: 1. Belarus withdraws from the Union State with Russia. After February 24, we see no prospects in partnership with the Russian Federation. All agreements between the Lukashenka regime […]
February 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Press Conference on Democratic Belarus at the Munich Security Conference 2023
“Dear friends, dear members of the press It’s a great privilege to speak at the Munich Security Conference on behalf of Belarusian people and the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus. I was glad to meet German Chancellor Scholz, President Von Der Leyen, and Czech President-Elect Pavel and many other dignitaries representing nations who support Belarusians. […]
February 18, 2023
Proposals to support civil society and cultural and educational initiatives: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with George Soros in Munich
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and George Soros discussed the situation in Belarus. Soros noted that he has been mentioning Belarus during the meetings and wished democratic changes for the country, adding that on the first day of the Munich Conference he finished his speech by mentioning Belarus. George Soros mentioned how in 1997 his foundation was forced […]
February 18, 2023
Coalition for Democratic Belarus, support for the repressed: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
During the Munich conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with Ursula von der Leyen. In December 2021, following their previous meeting, the European Commission doubled its assistance to Belarusian civil society. This time, Ms. von der Leyen and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed an international coalition in support of independent Belarus. Lukashenka is rapidly surrendering Belarusian sovereignty, […]
February 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the regime-initiated sale of her husband’s property: “The regime has already descended to looting and banditry”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We have spent many good and joyful days in this apartment with Siarhei and our children. No matter how hard these people try to deprive us of our family, love, and memories, they will fail – every moment of happiness remains with us. But the regime has already descended to looting and banditry. […]
February 18, 2023
Withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus, issues of Belarusian students: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the newly elected president of the Czech Republic at the Munich Security Conference
During the Munich conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the newly elected president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. He is the ex-NATO general who won the elections with the largest result in the history of direct elections in Czechia. He assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya of his willingness to support democratic Belarus. The national leader […]
February 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Irish Foreign Minister and discussed support for the Belarusian language, student exchanges, and assistance to civil society
On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with Micheál Martin, former prime minister and current foreign minister of Ireland. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on Ireland to support initiatives for the release and rehabilitation of political prisoners, projects to strengthen national identity, the work of the Contact Group on Belarus within […]
February 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis
Pinchas Solomonovich Goldschmidt is a world-renowned rabbi, scholar, and leader of the Jewish community. Mr. Goldschmidt and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed the situation of the Jewish community in Belarus, as well as contacts with Israel. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned Lukashenka's anti-Semitic statements and noted the important role of the Jewish community in Belarusian history. The Belarusian leader […]
February 17, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the Munich Security Conference: “The security of the entire region depends on Belarus.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on Europe to be decisive and consistent, emphasized the need to hold accomplices of the Lukashenka regime accountable, and spoke about Belarusian partisans, cyber-partisans, and volunteer fighters in Ukraine. She also stressed the importance of caring for the future security of the region now. “Belarus should not remain a problem to be […]
February 17, 2023
Future security in the region and a shared strategy in the region between Baltic Sea and the Black Sea: talks in Munich with Olaf Scholz
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and a delegation of the Office and the United Transitional Cabinet held a meeting with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz. They discussed the need for a new coordinated strategy to defend Belarus’ independence. They also met with the Head of Scholz's Chancellery, Wolfgang Schmidt, to discuss the future regional security and a […]
February 17, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s delegation held talks on regional security with Head of Olaf Scholz’s Chancellery at the Munich Conference
At the Munich Security Conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of Olaf Scholz's Chancellery. They discussed the future of security in the region. They discussed: – forming a coalition in support of a democratic Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Germany to become the leader of such a coalition to ensure a peaceful transition of […]
February 17, 2023
New Belarus passport, visa procedures simplification: meeting with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson
At the meeting, a draft document was presented that exiled Belarusians could use as their ID, show to confirm their citizenship, and, in a perfect scenario, travel with. Although there is still a lot of work ahead, an important first step has been taken in this direction to ensure that the document is in line […]
February 17, 2023
Support for the Contact Group and participation in the Council of Europe summit. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland and current chair of the Council of Europe Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir. Representatives of Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Belarus’ United Transitional Cabinet and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also joined the meeting. They discussed the expansion of Belarus's participation in Council of […]
February 17, 2023