As part of her visit to Brussels, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Marcos Perestrello. The discussion focused on regional security, interparliamentary cooperation, the release of political prisoners, and continued support for Ukraine.
“Belarus is an integral part of Europe’s regional security. But I want Belarus to be seen not only as a threat, but as an opportunity to shift the balance in the region in favor of democracy and peace”, the Belarusian leader noted.
Mr. Perestrello and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya addressed the threat to Belarus’ independence posed by Russia and the use of Belarusian territory as a military outpost for the Kremlin. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that, unlike the illegitimate Lukashenka regime, the Belarusian people oppose the war and support Ukraine.
“Our cooperation with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is extremely valuable. We will continue this work. We’re planning joint hearings and expect Belarusian experts to participate in the Assembly’s events”, she added.
Many members of the NATO PA are involved in interparliamentary groups supporting democratic Belarus. On the upcoming fifth anniversary of the 2020 protests (August 9), several members of the Assembly are expected to join solidarity events.
