Summary of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to the Netherlands

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited The Hague and Amsterdam on January 13–14.

Political meetings

• Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dirk Schoof
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caspar Veldkamp
• Speaker of the Dutch Parliament, Martin Bosma
• Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (hearing)

Collaboration with civil society and academia

• Meetings with Dutch NGOs, including the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Amnesty International, Article 19, and others
• Discussions at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael
• Meeting with the Belarusian diaspora in the Netherlands
• Speech and Q&A session at the University of Amsterdam

Key topics and outcomes

1. Non-recognition of Lukashenka’s “election”

• Dutch officials reiterated their stance of non-recognition of the sham election orchestrated by Lukashenka. 
• They emphasized their commitment to continued cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus.

2. Strengthening sanctions and closing loopholes

• Discussions focused on tightening sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the regime, particularly for human rights violations. 
• The need to close loopholes and enhance enforcement mechanisms to ensure effective compliance with sanctions was also addressed.

3. Parliamentary support for Belarus

• Plans were discussed to establish a parliamentary group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the Dutch Parliament. 
• Some parliamentarians expressed their readiness to join Libereco’s campaign of symbolic godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. 
• Joint actions were agreed upon within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), where a delegation from Belarus (the Coordination Council) will participate for the first time on January 27, 2025. 
• Cooperation between Belarusian and Dutch political parties to strengthen democratic ties was also discussed.

4. Support for the ICC appeal

• The parties discussed the possibility of Dutch support for Lithuania’s appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold Lukashenka accountable for crimes against humanity.

5. Ukraine and Belarus’ role in regional security

• Support for Ukraine, as well as Belarus’ potential role in peace negotiations, were key discussion topics. 
• Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for assisting Belarusian volunteers fighting in Ukraine.

6. Foreign Affairs Council (FAC)

• Preparations were made for an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on January 26 in Brussels, focusing on the non-recognition of Lukashenka’s sham election.

7. NATO Public Forum

• A potential discussion on Belarus or regional security issues during the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague was discussed.

8. Support for key foundations and initiatives

• Continued backing for the democratic forces of Belarus was discussed through the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), MATRA (civil society), the Human Rights Fund (journalists and human rights defenders), and the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB).
• Support for the People’s Embassy of Belarus in Warsaw was also considered.

9. Clingendael Institute

• The institute will prepare a report on potential scenarios for Belarus and provide actionable recommendations. 
• Discussions covered potential training programs for Belarusian civil society.

10. Collaboration with NGOs on campaigns

• Joint campaigns with Dutch NGOs were discussed.

11. Legalization of residence and support for the diaspora

• Issues faced by Belarusians in the Netherlands due to Lukashenka’s decrees were addressed.
• Ties were strengthened with the Belarusian diaspora.