Romanian President Holds Talks With Belarusian Democratic Leader: Political Prisoners and Regional Security Discussed
Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held talks with Romanian President Nicusor Dan on November 4 at Cotroceni Palace, the presidential residence in Bucharest. The parties discussed the release of political prisoners in Belarus, regional security, EU sanctions policy, assistance for Belarusians, and cooperation with democratic forces.
Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Dan for inviting her to Bucharest and for Romania's consistent support for the Belarusian people since 2020. She highlighted Romania's position on sanctions against the Lukashenka regime, assistance programs for Belarusians, the work of the Romanian Embassy in Vilnius, and its continued attention to the fate of political prisoners. She also recalled that Romania, together with Poland and Lithuania, had launched an initiative to support democratic transformation in Belarus, an idea later reflected in the EU's Comprehensive Plan to support a democratic Belarus after change.
The two sides discussed regional security and the war in Ukraine, including Belarus's role in Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the presence of Russian troops and weapons on Belarusian territory, and hybrid threats posed by Russia and the Lukashenka regime. On EU sanctions policy, Tsikhanouskaya called for maintaining pressure on the regime until it ends repression, releases all political prisoners, and stops supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
They also discussed the future of a democratic Belarus, including how Romania's experience of democratic transformation after 1989 could be applied in Belarus, including reforming state institutions, restoring the rule of law, and pursuing European integration; continued support for Ukraine, agreeing that the Belarusian issue must be taken into account in future negotiations on peace and security in the region; assistance for Belarusians in exile, including residence status, access to education, scholarships, and support for Belarusian students; support for Belarusian civic initiatives and independent journalism; and further cooperation through the Three Seas Initiative, the European Political Community, the Central European Initiative, and the Council of the European Union.
The parties also discussed the possibility of Romania joining the International Humanitarian Fund that supports political prisoners and individuals repressed in Belarus, and the possibility of appointing a special representative for relations with Belarus's democratic forces. Tsikhanouskaya stressed that a democratic and independent Belarus is in the security interests of Europe as a whole, including Romania and the Black Sea region.
This was Tsikhanouskaya's first meeting with Dan in Bucharest. They had previously met in Dubrovnik in April, Yerevan in May, and New York in September.
Source: Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：罗马尼亚总统 Nicușor Dan（左）在科特罗切尼宫与季哈诺夫斯卡娅会谈。Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya 办公室官方照片。 / Photo: Romanian President Nicusor Dan (left) meets Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at Cotroceni Palace. Official photo by the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
