Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met for the first time with the new President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, who took office in August 2024. The meeting took place during the Belarusian leader’s visit to Iceland.
Ms. Tómasdóttir and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed:
📌 Ways to secure the release of and provide support to political prisoners, including those kept incommunicado;
📌 Possible response to the escalation of repression by the Lukashenka regime and increased pressure on Belarusians both within the country and abroad;
📌 Assistance to independent media, businesses, cultural initiatives, and NGOs;
📌 Support for Ukraine.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am sincerely grateful to Iceland for supporting Belarusians so comprehensively. Thanks to President Halla Tómasdóttir and Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, Belarusians’ voice was heard at the Nordic Council – opening the path for even closer cooperation with the Nordic countries.
It is particularly inspiring to see that most of the speakers at the Council were women. For me, having grown up in a patriarchal society, this is a powerful and somewhat unusual sign. But I am deeply convinced that in times of war, greater representation of women in politics gives hope for greater compassion, humanity, and wisdom in our decisions. These qualities are essential if we strive for a better future for our countries”.
