During the meeting at her Office in Vilnius, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya listened to representatives of more than 35 NGOs and initiatives currently based in Lithuania.
The meeting focused on cooperation between NGOs and the democratic forces, as well as joint events and campaigns. The parties discussed the issues affecting Belarusians in Lithuania, including:
- Legalization of stay for volunteer fighters – legal recognition and access to rehabilitation for Belarusian volunteers who have fought against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
- Residence permits – difficulties in obtaining and extending permits, legal instability.
- Asylum issues – processing of applications and challenges in employment.
- Belarusian passports – problems with expiration and lack of renewal options.
- Access to legal documents from Belarus – difficulties obtaining apostilles, certificates, etc.
- Entry restrictions against vehicles registered in Belarus – limitations on crossing into Lithuania.
- Education in Belarusian – insufficient number of educational institutions offering instruction in Belarusian.
- Lithuanian language courses – lack of free courses for Belarusians, except for refugees.
- Integration through culture – participation of Belarusians in cultural and social events for better integration.
- The ‘Litvinism’ issue – concerns over disinformation and potential division between Lithuanians and Belarusians.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also shared the outcomes of the meeting between her Office and the Working Group on Combating Xenophobia under the Lithuanian Government Chancellery. She presented key takeaways from the roundtable discussion that took place in the Lithuanian Seimas on March 26, where the key challenges faced by Belarusians in the country were addressed.
