Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Oliver Röpke, in Paris during the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, organized under the patronage of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
The EESC is an official advisory body of the European Union, representing civil society, including trade unions, employers, and NGOs. It serves as a bridge between EU institutions and citizens, providing recommendations on legislation and policy.
Key outcomes of the meeting include:
- Speech before the EESC. Mr. Röpke invited Ms. Tsikhanouskaya to address the European Economic and Social Committee during one of its plenary sessions and speak on the challenges faced by Belarusians both inside the country and in exile.
- Support for Belarusian initiatives. The parties agreed to hold a series of EESC-hosted events focused on supporting independent media, trade unions, vulnerable groups, and Belarusian businesses in exile.
- Formalized cooperation. Discussions are underway about signing a cooperation memorandum between Belarus’ democratic forces and the EESC.
- Collaboration with the Democratic Belarus Mission in Brussels. Mr. Röpke and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed supporting initiatives related to the Belarusian community within the EU.
- Internships for Belarusians at the EESC. They agreed on internships for representatives of democratic Belarus under the Personnel Reserve program to train future leaders for Belarus.
