“I will always support Belarus and those who live a free Belarus in their efforts for full freedom and independence”, assured President Andrzej Duda during a Christmas-New Year meeting with Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of the Belarusian community held at the Belvedere on 9 January. In recent days, the leader of the Belarusian opposition has also met with Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Minister of National Education Barbara Nowacka.

“I firmly believe that the time will come when we will all enjoy freedom together, full independence, sovereignty; when we will be able to meet freely both in Belarus and in Poland, to cross our common border at any time, without fear of being locked up, detained or harassed”, emphasised President Duda.

The President assessed that today the justice system in Belarus basically does not exist; it is only Lukashenko’s armed, iron arm, which sends people to prisons, to penal colonies.

“With great concern we are looking for news about Andrzej Poczobut, with great concern we are listening to the fact that every day there are more arrests in Belarus, people are sent to penal colonies and prisons”, he said.

During a meeting with the head of the education ministry, Barbara Nowacka, the leader of the Belarusian opposition discussed the education of pupils arriving from Belarus, particularly in the context of teaching the Belarusian language. It was emphasised that the use of the Belarusian language is crucial for maintaining the identity of Belarusians in Poland.

Currently, there are nearly 25 000 pupils from Belarus attending schools in Poland.

During Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of Polish diplomacy, Radosław Sikorski, underlined Poland’s commitment to supporting civil society in Belarus. He praised the pro-democratic activities of Belarusian opposition communities in exile to date, and expressed support for the country’s democratic and European aspirations.

Adrian Andrzejewski