Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met USAID Deputy Administrator and attended launch of USAID Belarus office
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met in Vilnius with the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Deputy Administrator, Ambassador Erin Elizabeth McKee.
During the meeting, the parties discussed US support for independent Belarusian media, human rights defenders, cultural projects, pro-democracy businesses, and educational programs. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also informed the US side about the launch of the International Humanitarian Fund to support political prisoners in Belarus, expressing hope that the US would also join the fund’s efforts.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of assistance to all organizations forced by repression into exile, as well as those continuing their work inside Belarus.
Together with Ambassador McKee, the Belarusian leader participated in the launch of the new USAID/Belarus office in Vilnius. The USAID office resumed operations three years after its closure in Minsk in 2021.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked USAID and the US government for their years of support for Belarus and its civil society, including backing the US–Belarus Strategic Dialogue and advancing the Belarusian cause on the international stage.
USAID has supported the Belarusian people in various crisis situations, including the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2020 political crisis. Additionally, USAID has contributed to significant advancements in startups and the IT sector in Belarus. Since the start of cooperation in 1992, the US government has provided more than $1.1 billion in aid to Belarus across various sectors, including promoting democratic principles, human rights, and supporting independent media and civil society.
