Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, Lithuania office director Dzianis Kuchynski and adviser to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on parliamentary cooperation Anatol Liabedzka held a series of political meetings in Lithuania on April 23–24.
Talks were held with Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič, Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Audra Plepytė. The discussions focused on issues concerning tens of thousands of Belarusians in Lithuania, around 50,000 of whom hold residence permits.
Integration was the main topic. The interior minister confirmed that Belarusians in Lithuania are not only people in exile but also a potential for the country’s development. Security threats to students and graduates of the European Humanities University and their families were also discussed. The Lithuanian side expressed readiness to act as a reliable ally on this issue, the Office of Tsikhanouskaya said.
Lithuanian officials reiterated that sanctions are aimed at the Lukashenka regime, not the Belarusian people. It was stressed that alongside increasing sanctions pressure on the regime, Lithuania continues to support the Belarusian democratic community.
Support for Belarusian identity was also discussed, including education, kindergartens, the Francysk Skaryna Gymnasium, the Belarusian House and other civic initiatives. A preliminary agreement was reached on the possibility of taking driving licence exams in Belarusian at Regitra. This issue has long been raised by the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania.
