Фото: t.me/tsikhanouskaya
Active media discussion of the meeting between Polish and Belarusian Foreign Ministers Radosław Sikorski and Maksim Ryzhankou in terms of the “normalization of the situation” could negatively affect European countries’ willingness to accept Belarusians and grant them asylum. Senior adviser to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Franak Viačorka said this on Belsat’s broadcast.
“The argument is that if the situation has normalized, then return to Belarus. But people will be imprisoned there. And Europe will not grant asylum. There is such a risk. That is why it is even more important to explain that repression has not decreased and that political prisoners remain behind bars. Because the only news that makes it into the Western information agenda is that 15 people have been pardoned.
We do not even know yet who was actually pardoned; we do not have their names. But the news was reported, and, for example, migration authorities may say: ‘Oh, so everyone has been pardoned there already.’ So the risks are significant, and we need to do even more work and communicate the information more widely. On the one hand, it is good that there is some chance and people are being released. On the other hand, we need to explain that the nature of the regime has not changed and that systemic changes are needed,” he said.
The issue of systemic changes is being raised by the U.S. delegation. John Coale has spoken about the need to end the vicious practice of releasing some people while imprisoning others. It is clear that this makes Lukashenka uncomfortable, Tsikhanouskaya’s adviser noted. In this situation, it is important not to rush to lift sanctions, Viačorka said. If all restrictions are lifted now, the situation in Belarus will be frozen, while repression and the imprisonment of political prisoners will continue.
According to Viačorka, representatives of the democratic forces spoke with Sikorski before and after his meeting with Ryzhankou. The Polish minister said the meeting had taken place at Minsk’s request—“they really wanted this meeting, and the minister gave them a chance.”
“I know that this communication is ongoing, so it is not true to say there is no dialogue. But this is a kind of credit. You want to talk? There you go. You want a photo, too? Yes, they asked for the photo themselves and published it themselves. But are they ready to do anything? This is not the first meeting, after all. There have been so many meetings this year. <…> And some people say that after every meeting, things only got worse. So let’s see what Minsk does. We need to look at actions, not words,” Tsikhanouskaya’s adviser said.
Viačorka described the Belarusian democratic forces’ participation in the current UN General Assembly as successful. According to him, for the first time, about 12 ministers and deputy ministers took part in a meeting organized by the democratic forces. Security, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the possible involvement of Belarus in the war were discussed on the sidelines. Representatives of the democratic forces said that Belarusians oppose the war, support Ukraine and support Belarus’s independence.
Support for Belarusians abroad was also discussed, including issues concerning documents and passports. As the adviser noted, some European countries currently have their own arrangements, but there is not yet a common mechanism at the EU level.
The discussions also covered holding representatives of the Belarusian regime accountable and European countries’ participation in the relevant international processes.
“Funding for the Belarus issue has been allocated in next year’s budget. We hope Slovenia or Ukraine will join,” he said.
Viačorka also spoke about meetings Tsikhanouskaya held in New York, including with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and actor Keanu Reeves. According to Viačorka, even symbolic contacts can matter in the future because they may help pave the way for subsequent political decisions.
As an example, he cited a meeting with representatives of Finland, after which, two hours later, the Finnish side announced a €100,000 contribution to the International Humanitarian Fund.
Viačorka also described a meeting between representatives of the democratic forces and Maksim Ryzhankou.
“We were talking with the Austrian foreign minister. I saw Ryzhankou coming out, so I approached the delegation and held out my hand. He held out his, too, and came within a metre of me. Then he looked at me, got all worked up and pulled his hand back. I said, ‘No, come on, let’s talk.’
After all, Siarhei Aleinik, the previous minister, was very open. He would talk and greet people, while this one is simply so cowardly. <…> He started saying something about how we were beggars, walking around with a hat and panhandling, launching into his whole spiel. I said, let’s just talk. And then he ran off,” the adviser said.