Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya began her working visit to Estonia by giving a public lecture titled “Belarus after 2020: Dictatorship vs. European Future” at the Johan Skytte Institute. She emphasized that even during challenging times, Belarusians preserve their moral sovereignty and continue to fight for their identity and European future.
“Today, Belarus is under creeping occupation again, like a hundred years ago. But make no mistake: Most Belarusians oppose the war. Most want freedom and a European future. We were just taken hostage by the ambitions of an empire. Again.
While Belarus’s state sovereignty is under threat, our moral sovereignty remains unbroken. The Belarusian people continue to fight for our country, our identity, and our European future.
We are building institutions to represent the interests of Belarusians abroad and those still suffering under occupation. We are formalizing relations with foreign governments: We have recently signed an agreement with the European Parliament and launched the Strategic Dialogue with the United States.
We are preparing reforms for New Belarus. We have already drafted the new Constitution and economic, political, and justice reforms. We are strengthening our media. It’s a tool not only to fight the massive propaganda machine but also to connect our people on both sides of the border.
We are also strengthening our national identity through literature, the popularization of the Belarusian language, and sharing our history across all available platforms”.