Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, held from January 19 to 22, 2026. She held a series of meetings and discussions with political leaders, business representatives, and civil society, focusing on global security, the resilience of democracies, and the role of Belarus in a changing geopolitical landscape.
On January 20, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended the official WEF opening dinner, which gathered heads of state and government, foreign ministers, as well as leaders of major international corporations.
On January 21, she participated as a panelist in the official WEF briefing, “Can Russia Sustain a Wartime Economy?” The discussion focused on the resilience of the Russian economy under sanctions and the implications for the war against Ukraine, European security, and global stability. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya shared her perspective on sanctions and the future of Belarus.
On January 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in another panel discussion of the WEF official program, “Is Democracy in Trouble?” High-level government representatives and experts participated, including Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni Aramayo, Singapore’s Minister for Law Edwin Tong, and Yale University professor of political science Hélène Landemore. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya presented her vision of how to strengthen democracy both in democratic countries and under authoritarian regimes.
On the same day, she attended two closed WEF roundtables with presidents, heads of governments, and global business leaders. The morning roundtable, “A New Era of Geopolitical Uncertainty”, focused on managing intensified geopolitical competition and identifying new pathways to stability. Later, she joined the roundtable “Europe’s New Geopolitical Strategy”, dedicated to Europe’s strategic priorities, partnerships, and long-term security.
On the sidelines of the forum, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held meetings with the President of the UN General Assembly, the President of Armenia, the Prime Minister of Moldova, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the Vice-Chancellor of Germany, as well as the Foreign Ministers of Romania, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Canada, and other countries.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also took part in high-level events focused on women’s leadership, including “Her Power,” organized by Foreign Policy. She spoke at “Faith in Action: Leading the Spirit of Dialogue”, alongside representatives of religious communities and spiritual leaders. Additionally, she participated in a side event organized by the Community of Democracies, discussing the state of democracy as well as the situation in Belarus and Ukraine.
Throughout the World Economic Forum, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya consistently advocated for continued international attention on Belarus, the release of political prisoners, and strong international support for the Belarusian people in their struggle for freedom, sovereignty, and democratic change.
She gave interviews to a number of international media outlets, including Reuters, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, La Stampa, La Repubblica, Sky TG24 Italia, LBC Radio, Nikkei, and others.
