On April 10, Belarusian political prisoner Aliaksandr Kulinich was reported to have died in prison. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a statement: “Every person in custody has the right to proper care and health protection. Obviously, this had not been provided to Aliaksandr. I express my deepest condolences to Aliaksandr’s relatives and loved ones. People are dying in Belarusian prisons, and we must do everything we can to initiate the process of releasing those who have ended up behind bars due to political persecution”.
VISIT TO CYPRUS
On April 9-10, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Cyprus on a working visit, during which she met with the President of the country and the Speaker of the Parliament. In addition, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke at a hearing in the Parliament of Cyprus and held a briefing for diplomats from 16 countries at the Polish Embassy in Cyprus.
The negotiations focused on: 1) ways to solve the problems faced by the Belarusian diaspora in Cyprus, 2) creation of the group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the Cypriot Parliament, 3) support for relocated Belarusian businesses, 4) pressure on the regime and its isolation, and 5) a unified international position on the situation in Belarus.
VISIT TO GREECE
On April 11-12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Greece on a working visit, where she took part in the Delphi Economic Forum and held meetings with the President of Greece, the Mayor of Athens, and the former Prime Minister of the country. The Belarusian leader brought archival materials for former Prime Minister Papandreou about his great-great-grandfather, Zygmunt Mineyko, who was born in Belarus and took an active part in the Kastus Kalinouski Uprising.
At the Delphi Forum, the Belarusian leader met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski. The parties discussed the military and political situation in Belarus, the problems with obtaining Polish visas experienced by Belarusians inside the country, as well as the formalization of relations with the United Transitional Cabinet.
REACTION TO AMENDMENT PROPOSAL IN LITHUANIAN SEIMAS
On April 9, it was reported that the Seimas of Lithuania will consider amendments introducing new grounds for revoking the residence permits of Belarusians. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the potential restrictions: “At the moment, this is not a new law, but only a bill. We are in touch with members of the Seimas – and we will try to convince them that amendments in this form should not be adopted. We are well aware of what concerns our Lithuanian partners. But at the same time, we should remember: the responsibility for this lies not with Belarusians, but with Lukashenka”.
COORDINATION COUNCIL ELECTION
The election to the Coordination Council, scheduled for May, has been sparking active debates online. Experts of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, led by the Senior Political Advisor, Alexander Dabravolski, answered the most pressing questions.
THIRD BELARUSIAN BUSINESS FORUM
The 3rd Belarusian Business Forum was held in Vilnius on April 9, organized by the Association of Belarusian Business Abroad (ABBA) and the Lithuanian Employers’ Confederation. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a welcome speech at the forum. As a result of the event, ABBA signed an agreement on cooperation with the Lithuanian Employers’ Confederation.
YOUTH POLICY
In March, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, was on a working trip to the USA for several weeks. As a result of the trip, an agreement was reached with the Obama Foundation to consider scholarships for Belarusian youth leaders. Also, an agreement was secured with Educational Justice to launch a joint pilot project of an international mentoring program to address inequalities in education.
MEDIA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to Cyprus Times (Cyprus), Giorgos A. Papandreou (Greece), Cyprus Mail (Cyprus), and BNT (Bulgaria).
