Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the official opening of the 11th ordinary session of the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels. The Belarusian leader focused on the importance of the European future for Belarus and called for including Belarus’ democratic forces in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership program. The regime suspended Belarus’ participation in 2021.
Here are the most notable quotes from the speech:
📌 “I am optimistic about Belarus. Because I see the bravery of Belarusians who keep fighting despite Stalin-like terror. Because I see the unity of the democratic world. Because I see the endurance of Ukrainian people”.
📌 “For two years already, Ukrainians have been defending the entire Europe, and paid the greatest price for it. And I am proud that there are many Belarusians fighting for Ukraine too, taking part in the harshest battles. Perhaps, we can’t provide Ukraine with shells or money, but Belarusians give the most precious – they give their lives for Ukraine’s vistory.
📌 “I want to use this opportunity to invite our Armenian, Georgian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian friends for more cooperation. Our situations might be different, but we share the same values, and the same vision of the future for our countries – the European future. We can do a lot on the Parliamentary level as well, within Euronest and beyond.
📌 For us Belarusians, while our country is seized by a dictatorial regime, the Eastern Partnership is a key tool for cooperation with the European Union. But for formal reasons, we as democratic forces cannot take part in the work in all formats of the Eastern Partnership. And my suggestion today would be to change the approach towards Belarus and formalize the presence of Belarusian democratic forces in the program. It would not only be a gesture of solidarity but a demonstration that the European Union clearly separates the Belarus people and the regime”.
