The Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, received Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during her visit to the Czech Republic.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Mayor Svoboda for supporting Belarusian initiatives and the Belarusian diaspora in Prague, as well as for his participation in events marking Freedom Day. She also highlighted the openness of the city authorities to cooperation with the democratic forces and civil society of Belarus.
Mayor Svoboda emphasized that Prague has always been open to Belarusians. He recalled that a century ago, the Czech capital hosted Belarusian political and cultural elites, as well as the government of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile. According to him, supporting a free and democratic Belarus is a matter of principles, values, and historical solidarity for Prague.
Bohuslav Svoboda welcomed the release of political prisoners in Belarus and highly praised the work of the country’s democratic community. He also recalled his most recent meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in New York during a ceremony dedicated to Maksim Znak, who was still imprisoned at the time.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on the Prague leadership to continue supporting Belarusian civic and cultural initiatives. She asked Mayor Svoboda to take patronage over the Congress of Belarusians in the Czech Republic, planned for later this year, and to assist in providing a venue for Belarusian events.
The parties also discussed opportunities to deepen Czech–Belarusian relations. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that culture and education help preserve Belarusian identity amid repression and exile, while also building bridges between the peoples of Belarus and Czechia.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am deeply grateful to Prague and the Czech Republic for becoming a home for so many Belarusians. Here, many Belarusians can freely study, work, develop their culture, and preserve their identity. This is support that Belarusians will never forget”.
During her visit to the Czech Republic on June 10–11, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also met with President Petr Pavel, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil, and the Belarusian civil society in the Czech Republic.
