{"id":86785,"date":"2024-05-23T13:42:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T10:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/86785\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"opposition-leader-urges-eu-us-diplomats-to-support-belarusian-civil-society","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/86785\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition leader urges EU, US diplomats to support Belarusian civil society"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 23, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Sanctions against Minsk should be accompanied by assistance to ordinary Belarusians, civil society, media and human rights groups, Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja told participants at a discussion on the sidelines of the Stockholm Conference on Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organized by former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevi\u010dius, the meeting gathered diplomats and officials from the European Union and the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dskaja urged the EU countries and the United States to formalize relations with Belarusian pro-democracy forces, appoint special envoys and refrain from presenting diplomatic credentials to Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main events at the conference featured more than 150 diplomats, politicians, activists and experts from about 20 countries. It took place on May 21 and 22 without journalists being present and focused on Belarus’ European aspirations, political prisoners, economy, culture, media, youth and other topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Franak Via\u010dorka from Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s team described the conference as \u201cthe most representative international event on Belarus after 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opposition leader warned against letting an iron curtain fall on the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka’s regime is already under Russian control but Belarusians should not be pushed to Russia, she stressed, urging the EU to promote mobility, people-to-people contacts and education opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus can become a success story as it transitions from dictatorship to democracy, Cichano\u016dskaja stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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