During the Munich Security Conference, the Belarusian leader held meetings with former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, leader of the parliamentary minority and Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, co-chair of the Friends of Belarus caucus, Joe Wilson, Senator Dan Sullivan, and Senator and co-chair of the Friends of Belarus caucus in the Senate, Jeanne Shaheen.
The discussions focused on the Belarus-USA Strategic Dialogue and the preparation of the new Belarus Democracy Act, which is currently under consideration in the US House of Representatives and Senate. The parties also talked about the upcoming appointment of a US special envoy for Belarus.
During the dialogues, the Belarusian leader stressed the need to support Belarusian independent journalists and civil society, hold the regime accountable in the International Criminal Court and the UN court, and exert more effective pressure on the regime. The leader emphasized that the demand for the release of political prisoners must be clear when imposing restrictions. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also drew politicians’ attention to the critical situation with political prisoners and noted that in the wake of Alexei Navalny’s death, all possible measures must be taken to achieve their release and ensure access for lawyers and relatives.
Politicians also discussed possible sanctions against Russia and the Lukashenka regime for undermining Belarus’ sovereignty and involvement in war crimes.
The Belarusian leader proposed to senators, congressmen and congresswomen to hold a high-level Belarusian-American conference to discuss the strategy and long-term cooperation between Belarus’ democratic forces, the US government, and Congress.
