MEETING WITH LITHUANIAN SEIMAS SPEAKER JUOZAS OLEKAS
On September 3, the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Juozas Olekas, officially received Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius. Members of the “For a Democratic Belarus” Parliamentary Group and representatives of most political parties also took part in the meeting. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya was accompanied by her Chief Advisor, Franak Viacorka; Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski; and Advisor on Parliamentary Cooperation and Constitutional Reform, Anatoli Liabedzka.
The parties discussed:
- Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for making Belarus one of the priorities on the European agenda during Lithuania’s Presidency;
- preparations for the release of political prisoners. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Lithuania for its support on logistics and legal stay issues;
- a potential procedure to exchange Belarusian driver’s licenses without additional exams for people with humanitarian residence permits, following Poland’s example, and possible driving exams in Belarusian;
- restoring Belarus to the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for Lithuanian state scholarships for master’s degree programs, and restoring this opportunity for the 2027 admissions cycle;
- Lithuanian language courses for Belarusians;
- social issues, including support for children with disabilities;
- the European Humanities University and Belarusians’ access to education;
The parties agreed in principle to sign a memorandum on cooperation between the Lithuanian Seimas and Belarus’s democratic forces, similar to that signed in 2024 with the European Parliament. They also reached an agreement to organize and hold a meeting of the International Alliance of Parliamentary Groups “For a Democratic Belarus” in Vilnius.
BRIEFINGS FOR DIPLOMATS AND EMBASSIES
On September 2, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a briefing in Vilnius for ambassadors and diplomats from 17 European Union countries. The meeting was organized by the Embassy of Ireland. Representatives of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden took part in the briefing.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya presented the outcomes of the New Belarus Conference and spoke about the efforts to secure the release of political prisoners and cooperation with Ukraine. She called for maintaining pressure on the regime and stressed the risk of Belarus becoming further involved in Russia’s war. She also announced preparations for an Irish–Belarusian conference dedicated to national identity, culture, and media.
On September 4, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held another briefing for diplomats from Latin American and European countries with the support of the Ambassador of Spain in Poland, Victoria Ortega Gutiérrez. The meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Brazil, Chile, Panama, Portugal, and Spain.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on the diplomats to promote the Belarusian issue on the international stage, including by supporting the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus and the mandate of the UN Group of Independent Experts on Human Rights in Belarus. She also urged them to help Belarusians facing difficulties with documents and legal status in exile.
CHARITY CAMPAIGN FOR BELARUSIAN CHILDREN
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office joined a charity campaign to support Belarusian children by collecting school supplies for families in need. On September 4, she visited the Belarusian Solidarity Center in Warsaw to donate notebooks, pencils, paints, folders, and other essential supplies on behalf of her team ahead of the new school year.
POLAND’S NATIONAL READING
On September 5, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended the finale of Poland’s National Reading alongside the Belarusian diaspora in Warsaw. This year, the work selected for the reading was “Dziady” by Adam Mickiewicz — a work about nations who fought for freedom and the right to be themselves.
The event was attended by Polish President Karol Nawrocki and First Lady Marta Nawrocka, as well as renowned Polish actors and musicians. Belarusian artists Bazhena Shamovich and Aliaksei Saprykin also took part.
KNOWLEDGE DAY
On Knowledge Day, which marks the start of the new school year in Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed schoolchildren, students, teachers, and parents. She called on young people to stay curious and find their own path, thanked teachers who, despite ideological pressure, continue to teach children to think, and expressed gratitude to parents for supporting their children and having honest conversations with them at home: “I know that the time will come when Belarusian schools will once again be places of knowledge, growth, and freedom, rather than fear and ideology. Because the education our children receive today determines what Belarus will be tomorrow. Happy Knowledge Day!”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Pavel Tereshkovich, also responded to the regime’s education minister’s recent remarks about tutors: “I’m not particularly surprised that the minister doesn’t like tutors. This is the view of an official from a state that automatically considers anything not directly subordinate to it hostile and suspicious”.
To mark the start of the school year, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited a Belarusian educational institution in Vilnius to speak with the team that continues to educate Belarusian children in exile. The meeting focused on the current challenges facing educators, from Lithuanian language proficiency requirements to finding support and engaging with foreign embassies.
MEDIA
15min (Lithuania).
