Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke during the opening of the high-level conference “Building Foundations for Democratic Change” in Brussels. She emphasized that this meeting is not just a discussion about reforms but a foundation for a future democratic country.
In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya addressed the transitional period and the preparation of new legislation:
“The idea behind the new legislation is simple: stabilize democracy, eliminate corruption, rebuild a justice system that serves the people, not the government, and bring Belarus closer to Europe. This will ensure that dictatorship never returns to Belarus”.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also expressed her gratitude to the European Parliament, the European Commission, International IDEA, and all partners who have supported the Belarusian people over the past years:
“I am grateful to everyone who made this conference possible. This is the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Belarus, led by our dear Małgorzata Gosiewska, our tireless advocate in the European Parliament.
Recently, we jointly campaigned for awarding the Sakharov Prize to Andrzej Poczobut, and I am grateful to the Delegation, the Special Rapporteurs, and all MEPs – Andrzej Halicki, Mariusz Kamiński, Sergey Lagodinsky, Dainius Žalimas – who supported this decision.
I also want to thank Vice-Presidents Ewa Kopacz and Nicolae Ştefănuță for the Parliament’s firm and principled stance. You can clearly see the difference between the people of Belarus and the Lukashenka regime. Between Belarus and Russia”.
The conference is held at the European Parliament and includes five panels focusing on human rights, transitional justice, prosecutorial reform, public service ethics, and the role of oversight institutions. European politicians, Belarusian democratic leaders, and leading international experts are participating in the event.
