Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visits Bulgaria

The struggle for freedom and democracy is not local, but global. It is better to have noisy debates in parliament than silence, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on March 5 in Sofia.

She said change in Belarus would mean change in Russia. Tikhanovskaya met with Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel, and gave a lecture to students.

Denkov after meeting with Tsikhanouskaya: Belarus is an example of how democratic rules can be broken

The war in Ukraine, the situation in Belarus and bilateral relations were among the highlights of the talks between Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Prime Minister Denkov and Foreign Minister Gabriel.

"The example of Belarus I would say is a sad example of how in a highly developed European country, with very good education, science, technology, developed economy, democratic rules can be broken, I would say colloquially, and the result of this is the establishment of a dictatorship," Prime Minister, Nikolai Denkov, said.

"In Ukraine, they are fighting against Russian missiles, while in Belarus we are fighting against the subjugation of our institutions, economy, media against Russification. We see how Russia is dictatorially trying to destroy everything Belarusian in the country, to destroy our national identity and our people," Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.

"We also strongly condemn Minsk's role as Russia's accomplice in the illegal aggression against Ukraine. We have also united in the understanding that the pressure on the autocratic regime in Minsk - through EU sanctions - must continue, including being vigilant about circumventing the sanctions and the mechanisms that are being used," Deputy Prime Minister, Mariya Gabriel, said.

National Assembly Speaker, Rosen Zhelyazkov, also spoke with Tikhanouskaya. The second day of her visit continued with a lecture to students.

She started with a confession - "in my short and accidental career I have learned how to talk to Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz, but it is always a challenge for me to speak to the next generation of leaders."

"My coming to Sofia is not just a visit, but a bridge-building mission. I came here to rebuild the relationship between our peoples. Despite our shared history and geographical proximity, it so happens that we know very little about each other. This is due to the dictatorship in Belarus, which led to the isolation of my country for almost 30 years. My task is to rebuild everything that was destroyed by the regime."

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the path she has taken from housewife and mother to opposition leader, and the struggle of the Belarusian opposition against President Alexander Lukashenko's regime. In her words, the repression in Belarus has not stopped for the fourth year now and is becoming more and more violent. There is practically no legal opposition in the country, no independent media, no NGOs.

"It is symbolic but also tragic that several generations of Belarusians have not had the chance to live in freedom and democracy. I know that not only Belarusians are following my visit, but also Lukashenko's KGB. After today's meetings with the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, I expect a tweet from Lukashenko's embassy strongly condemning 'Bulgarian treason'. That is why it is so important to support Belarus' struggle for freedom. It is not just about our fight for human rights and justice, but for peace and security across Europe."

Tikhanouskaya stressed that Bulgaria's role is very important for Belarus' step on the path of democracy and the EU has all the tools to put pressure on Lukashenko's regime. A change in Belarus also means a change in Russia, she added. After the meeting with the students, Svetlana Tikhanouskaya was heard in the European Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.