Washington to start strategic dialogue with opposition in Belarus
Later this year, the United States will begin a “comprehensive strategic dialogue” with representatives of the democracy movement and civil society in Belarus. This, as reported on the US State Department website, was stated by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at a meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Washington.
Both sides expressed the hope that the dialogue would bring together US administration departments dealing with Belarus with “a wide range of Belarusian democratic actors, including political leaders, civil society representatives, independent journalists, human rights activists , lawyers, union leaders, academics and ordinary Belarusians,” the statement said..
In addition, the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, in a meeting with Tikhanovskaya, emphasized “the unshakable commitment of the United States to support the aspirations of the Belarusian people for a democratic, sovereign and stable future” of their country, said Deputy Advisory State Department Press Office Vedant Patel.
Tikhanovskaya spoke at the US Congress
During her visit to Washington, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya also addressed the US Congress, criticizing the actions of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko who allowed the Kremlin to use Minsk to attack Ukraine. The aggressor country “freely uses” Belarus’ territory, airspace and infrastructure for military purposes in order to “attack and threaten Ukraine”, she said. Tikhanovskaya emphasized that the Russian Federation supports the illegitimate regime in Belarus and carries out colonial actions against the national identity of Belarusians.
In early March, the Minsk City Court sentenced Tikhanovskaya in absentia to 15 years in prison. The investigation charged him with ten counts at once: unauthorized appropriation of title and power, assisting a foreign state in actions against national security, conspiracy to seize power, inciting hatred, creating an extremist formation, obstructing work of the CEC and others.
Source: DW
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