"Belarusian round table" organized by the Embassies of the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Lithuania in the Kingdom of Norway
25.03.2021
24.03. on the eve of the Belarusian Freedom Day, the Embassies of the Republic of Poland and Lithuania in Norway organized a debate of experts from Poland, Lithuania and Norway on the situation in Belarus.The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by the Head of the Department for Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Regional Organizations, Director L. R. Hansen. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader of Democratic Belarus, gave a special message.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has emphasized that Belarus is currently experiencing the darkest period in its history: its countrymen fighting for democracy, are repressed and imprisoned. The democratic Belarusian opposition demands free elections, an end of the violence and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Kamil Kłysiński, analyst from the Center for Eastern Studies (OSW), drew attention to the fact that the Freedom Day celebrated by Belarusians on March 25 is a symbolic day. According to Kłysiński, the pressure and sanctions of the West against the regime are an extremely important, though not the only factor generating changes in the country.
According to Vytis Jurkonis (University of Vilnius, Freedom House Vilnius), Belarusians who are demanding change, free and democratic elections are facing only violence by the regime today. Jurkonis called for: 1) holding free, democratic elections, 2) settling accounts with the regime, 3) developing a program of transition to the new reality.
Arve Hansen (Norwegian Arctic University) pointed out that women are an important element and strength of the protest in Belarus - they are a shield for the violence. In Hansen's opinion, this process is a national awakening process. As long as people ate urging for the change, the protest will not die out.
Experts unanimously emphasized that the world must support the Belarusians, not the Belarusian regime. The participants of the debate agreed also that free, democratic Belarus is a democratic success for all of us.
It was emphasized that Poland, Lithuania and Norway would stand closely together to keep the Belarussian case high on the international agenda.
