Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the PACE General Rapporteur for a Democratic Belarus, Ryszard Petru, and the General Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and whistleblowers, Emanuelis Zingeris. They discussed plans and priorities for cooperation in 2025.
Key issues discussed during the meeting included:
- A new PACE resolution on Belarus during the 2025 Winter Session. The resolution should address the upcoming sham election and the release of political prisoners.
- A dedicated conference on Belarus organized by the PACE, the Polish Parliament, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office. The conference will focus on a positive agenda for New Belarus and preparations for joining the Council of Europe.
- An exhibition in Strasbourg dedicated to Belarusian volunteer fighters who died defending Ukraine.
- Legal review of the draft Constitution of New Belarus and a potential opinion from the Venice Commission.
Following recent negotiations, a Coordination Council delegation will, for the first time, participate in a PACE session this month. Additionally, an office of Belarus’ democratic forces has been officially launched in the PACE premises.
In 2023, the PACE adopted the report “Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile” by Paul Galles. The report provides recommendations for national parliaments and governments on facilitating mobility and the legalization of residence for Belarusians. For more details, see Luxembourg Solutions.
