During her visit to Warsaw, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, representing the United Transitional Cabinet, signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Community of Democracies, represented by Secretary General Mantas Adomėnas.
“Dear Secretary General Adomenas,
Dear Excellencies, and friends,
It is a great honor to stand here today among allies who share the same values and dreams.
In this room, I know I am among friends — friends united by our belief in democracy, security, and human dignity.
One day Belarus will join the Community of Democracies as a free, democratic, and European country. But Belarusians, as a people, already belong here.
We are fighting for the same ideals that this Community was built upon. We are standing against autocracy, and together, we are proving that democracy is worth every sacrifice.
It was a true honor to sign the memorandum of understanding between the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and the Community of Democracies. It is not just a symbolic gesture. It is a step toward returning Belarus to the path of democracy, human rights, and justice.
I know, this is a non-conventional step for the Community as well. But we live in non-conventional times. Such times need non-conventional solutions, and they need brave leaders.
One of those who stood behind the idea of the Community of Democracies was Madeleine Albright. She is my personal hero. But also I can call her a mentor. At the very beginning of my accidental political career, I was lucky to meet her. We were sitting and chatting, about politics, freedom, and women. It was her, who inspired me to continue my fight and stay strong, before all challenges. I saw a powerful woman, who wants to make the world a better and safer place, and I see her as an example.
Today, I want to thank the whole team of the Community of Democracies, of course, Mantas Adomenas, and Miloslawa Zagloba. Thank you for bringing new life to this organization.
It’s so symbolic that we meet in Warsaw – a city that knows the price of freedom like no other. Poland’s journey to freedom is an inspiration to all of us. I want to thank my Polish friends, especially the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Adam Halaciński, the special envoy to democratic Belarus; the Polish Senate and Sejm; experts and journalists, and steadfast allies like Michał Kamiński — a true friend of all freedom fighters.
And of course, a big “thank you” to all diplomats and ambassadors representing their countries — for standing up for what is right.
As dictators unite, we must stand united too. As dictators learn from each other, so must we. Fighting one tyranny means fighting all of them.
Dictators hate democracy because it is resilient, inclusive, and successful. Dictators hate democracy because it is a threat to their existence. And dictators can not be appeased, or reeducated. They must be confronted. And it’s high time for democracies to show their teeth.
Dear friends,
The first point of the Warsaw Declaration speaks about “the right of citizens to choose their representatives through regular, free and fair elections.”
Change of power is the foundation of every democracy. Unfortunately, Belarusians have been deprived of this for 31 years. In two weeks, the dictator will organize another farce, called elections, which looks more like a military operation.
With no alternative candidates allowed, no campaign, no counting of votes, no observers, or monitoring. But with a lot of soldiers and police. The only question is what number the dictator will write in the final protocol.
Being here, I want to ask all your countries to reject this farce. Lukashenka is an illegitimate dictator, who seized the country, dragged Belarus into the war, and has been selling it to Russia, piece by piece. And all this takes place against the will of the Belarusian people. He must be isolated, not legitimized.
Belarusians already made their choice in 2020, rejected dictatorship, and voted for democratic forces. Having a mandate from the Belarusian people, the democratic forces of Belarus have formed alternative institutions of power, the United Transitional Cabinet, as a government in waiting, and the proto-parliament – Coordination Council.
These institutions represent Belarusian society and the will of Belarusian people, not the illegitimate regime in Minsk. We are united, we defend the interests of the Belarusian people, and we answer their needs. We support Ukraine, and our people on the ground.
We also build coalitions. We have formalized our relationship with the Council of Europe, by creating a formal Contact Group. We have launched Strategic dialogues with the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, and signed a memorandum with the European Parliament, and today, with the Community of Democracies.
We believe that there will be a new window of opportunity for Belarus. We don’t know how and when it will happen, but we know this: all dictatorships crumble in the end.
Perhaps we will have to go through the Round Table, as Poland once did. And when that happens, we need to be strong, and we will need the support of the free world to turn Belarus towards democracy.
We are already working on reforms and drafting a new Constitution to ensure that when change comes, it will be irreversible. I hope the Community of Democracies, like the Council of Europe, can support us with their expertise.
We also need to prepare professionals for a new Belarus, and we encourage our partners to support internships, scholarships, and exchanges. We want to learn from your experiences, especially from countries that have transitioned to democracy, such as Moldova, Chile, Portugal, Romania, North Macedonia, Poland, and, of course, Lithuania.
We also rely on your support in restoring justice in Belarus. It is not enough to release our political prisoners—of whom there are more than 1,300. We must also make sure that all perpetrators are held accountable. Therefore, we ask you to support Lithuania in its referral to the International Criminal Court against the Belarus regime for crimes against humanity. The sense of impunity must end.
We also ask to appoint special envoys to Belarusian democratic forces, as Poland, Lithuania, France, Norway, Estonia, Sweden and many other countries have already done. Organize events and discussions on Belarus and democracy in your embassies. Invite us to your capitals and international events, so the voice of Belarusians will be heard.
Support our independent media, like Belsat, Zerkalo, or Nasha Niva, who deliver truth and fight disinformation. Help our human rights defenders and the repressed. Recently, with the support of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, we have launched the International Humanitarian Fund for victims of repression, and we ask other countries to join too.
Supporting Belarus is not a charity. It is an investment in democracy and freedom worldwide.
Dear friends,
Another thing I learned from Madeleine Albright, is that no fight can be won alone. To win, you need allies.
And we as Belarusians are happy to have such determined and principled allies as you. I am sure that together we can make the world a better place, for us, and our children.
Thank you very much“.
