For the second year in a row, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos to represent Belarusians and their views on the situation in the region and war in Ukraine, solicit the support of international organizations and political leaders, and find new allies and partners.
- The Belarusian leader twice spoke at closed meetings of world leaders, namely at discussions “Preparing for a New Geopolitical Era” and “Restoring Faith in the Global System”. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya participated alongside representatives from nearly 50 countries, including those from the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, as well as leaders from the United Nations, various international organizations, and corporations.
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke during the main program of the Forum. The first discussion focused on the collective security of Europe and also featured the leaders of Poland, Croatia, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. At the second panel, the Belarusian leader discussed the situation with freedom of speech in the world.
During the discussions, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that the future of Ukraine and Belarus is intertwined and called for supporting independent media and civil society. The leader also urged the participants to make efforts to secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus.
- At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a side event at the Belgium House dedicated to the fate of democracy.
- In addition, together with representatives of the Economic Team of her Office, National Anti-Crisis Management, and Association of Belarusian Businesses Abroad (ABBA), the leader made a speech during the discussion at the House of Greece, which was devoted to the situation in Belarus.
- On the sidelines of the forum, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with a number of politicians and figures, including the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Ireland, Greece, the Presidents of Hungary and Flanders, the Foreign Ministers of Costa Rica, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Czechia, the Netherlands, former Prime Minister of Finland, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, President of the Swiss Council of States, President of the European Commission, Administrator of USAID, and initiator of the Magnitsky Act. One of the most important events was the meeting with the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, during which the Belarusian leader urged him to pay immediate attention to the deteriorating situation in Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also handed over to the Vice President of Google’s Europe Office proposals from the Belarusian media and civil society, met with the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, and the families of hostages taken by Hamas.
At the meetings, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talked about issues like the strategy vis-a-vis Belarus and the international alliance “For a Democratic Belarus”, and discussed ways to release Belarusian political prisoners and the importance of supporting independent media. In addition, she emphasized the need to bring the regime to justice and respond to the deployment of nuclear weapons and threats to Belarus’ independence. The leader also raised the legalization of stay issues faced by Belarusians abroad and called for recognition of the new Belarusian passport.
At the non-public meetings, the leader talked about access to prisons and obtaining information about those held incommunicado. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also talked about Belarusian volunteer fighters who are in Russian captivity.
During her participation in the forum, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to several foreign media, including Associated Press, Reuters, Skynews, and Deutsche Welle. Politico included Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the list of “do-gooders” of the Davos Forum, along with President Zelenskyy, Bill Gates, and former US Vice President Al Gore.
Photo: World Economic Forum
