Poland’s president Duda, Belarus opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya meeting in Warsaw
On December 9, Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya is on her working visit to Warsaw.
The meeting of Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya is taking place on Thursday afternoon.
The participants are going to discuss the issue of political prisoners, including imprisoned Polish minority activists Andrzej Poczobut and Andżelika Borys; providing assistance to Belarusian students and independent media; the situation on the Belarus-EU border, Tsikhanouskaya’s press service reports.
After theri meeting, our correspondent asked Svyalana Tsikhanouskaya what opposition leaders and democratic coutries should do to end the current confrontation in Belarus and what is still on this to-do-list, but not in progress (watch the video above starting 4.22).
“Since the last year, our strategy has not changed. We are sure that all such crises should be solved peacefully in the 21st century. And our strategy is to… because of pressure, internal pressure, outside pressure is to release all political prisoners and start dialogue or negotiations with representatives of the regime. People inside the regime are not happy about what is going on, but one sees the atmosphere of fear in Belarus at the moment. These negotiations will have to bring our country to early, free and fair elections in which Belarusians will be able to elect a new president, the leader they want. But it’s a pity that dictators do not understand the language of diplomacy, they understand only the language of violence and force. We are sure that only the united position of democratic countries that are supporting us at the moment, the united pressure on the Lukashenka regime on the one hand and support to the civil society, to Belarusians on the ground on the other will bring us to the changes we are striving for. I would like to say huge thanks to Poland, a country that was among the first that accepted Belarusian people, the country that said about their support for the democratic movement in Belarus in a loud voice and that is now suffering due to the attacks at the [Belarus-Poland] border. And I also respect this country for its principled position towards Belarusian regime, and this position could be an example for other not so brave countries,” Tsikhanouskaya answered.
Jakub Kumoch, Head of the International Policy Bureau of the President’s Chancellery, reported that Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Andrzej Duda would discuss the situation in Belarus at the Summit for Democracy initiated by US President Joe Biden and his administration.
