During the meeting, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Minister Sikorski for Poland’s assistance to democratic Belarus and non-recognition of the Lukashenka regime, as well as for the support for Belarusian political prisoners. In particular, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Mr. Sikorski for becoming a symbolic godfather of Siarhei Tsikhanouski. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also informed the minister about the recent crackdown in Belarus and the critical situation with political prisoners, many of whom are kept incommunicado.
The Belarusian leader stressed the need to develop a new strategy vis-a-vis Belarus at the EU level and invited Poland to take leadership in this initiative.
The politicians also discussed possible steps to achieve the release of political prisoners and increase pressure on the Lukashenka regime. In addition to this, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of the Cabinet proposed that Poland, together with Lithuania, initiate an investigation in the International Criminal Court regarding the forced deportation of Belarusians as more than 130,000 people have fled from the country due to repression. The Belarusian side also emphasized the importance of holding the regime accountable for its involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
The meeting also adressed the legalization of stay and visas for Belarusians. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on Minister Sikorski to continue issuing visas, both tourist and work visas as well as humanitarian ones. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of maintaining the mobility of Belarusians and proposed issuing visas not only in Belarus but also in Polish consulates in other countries. As an example, she referred to the situation in Georgia, where a large Belarusian diaspora cannot obtain EU visas.
The parties discussed issues related to support for civil society. The Belarusian leader called on the minister to continue supporting Belarusian media, which are critically important in countering Russian propaganda. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also talked about the plans of the democratic forces for 2024. She proposed that the minister support a high-level conference focusing on the development of a strategy vis-a-vis Belarus, which could be organized jointly with the European Commission.
As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached to launch a cross-departmental working group, including representatives from ministries and institutions of Poland, to address various issues faced by Belarusians. A similar group was established at the Ministry of the Interior of Poland back in 2022.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya asked the minister to support Belarusian businesses in Poland, specifically to extend the Poland Business Harbour program, which facilitates the relocation of Belarusian companies.
At the end of the meeting, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya awarded Radosław Sikorski with the Cross of Good Neighborhood, which had previously been awarded to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the European Parliament, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland.
