Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is visiting Wellington, where she met with New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters. She thanked the New Zealand government for supporting Belarus and Ukraine in international forums and called on the country to participate in joint actions at the UN and the Human Rights Council.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya invited New Zealand to join the International Humanitarian Fund to help victims of repression in Belarus – already supported by ten European countries – and back Lithuania’s referral to the International Criminal Court concerning the regime’s crimes against humanity.
The parties discussed further pressure on the Lukashenka regime. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed the importance of distinguishing between the regime and the Belarusian people and proposed cooperation within the Media Freedom Coalition, particularly to support independent journalists.
She also noted that New Zealand could play the role of a “democratic voice of the Southern Hemisphere”, especially for Pacific countries that have strong representation at the UN.
Minister Peters, in turn, handed Ms. Tsikhanouskaya a copy of the statement New Zealand’s representative will deliver during the UN Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, where the Lukashenka regime’s delegation will also be present.
Following the meeting, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation between the New Zealand government and the democratic forces of Belarus and explore opportunities for joint humanitarian and cultural projects, including with Australia’s participation.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We invited New Zealand to join initiatives that help bring Belarus back onto the international agenda – including in the UN and the Media Freedom Coalition. Today, Belarus is where freedom and tyranny collide. If our country remains under dictatorship and Russian influence, it will always pose a threat to Europe and the world. Supporting Belarus means investing in peace. When a distant country like New Zealand stands with Belarusians, it sends a powerful signal of solidarity: Belarus remains on the global agenda”.
The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere and paved the way for new areas of cooperation between Belarus and New Zealand.
