May 8, Pozirk. During her tour of the United States from May 1 to 7, Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja met with George W. Bush, the US president from 2001 to 2009, in Dallas to hand him a Good Neighborhood Cross and archive documents related to his support of Belarus.
The two discussed ways to attract international attention to Belarus’ political prisoners and make Belarus part of a fair and lasting peace in Eastern Europe, the Belarusian politician’s press office said.
Cichanoŭskaja and Bush, who signed the first Belarus Democracy Act into law in 2004, also discussed fight against dictatorship and oppression and ways to protect those Belarusians who have not given up resistance.
Bush reportedly noted the significance of Belarusians’ struggle against dictatorship for the Americans, noting that when dictators like Alaksandar Łukašenka are oppressing their people abroad, the country becomes less safe. Leaders as courageous as Cichanoŭskaja, who stand up for democracy, are needed for future peace and prosperity, the press office quoted him as saying.
The cross recognizes people’s special contribution to democracy in Belarus and Belarus’ relations with other countries.
Among those who received it are former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel, EP President Roberta Metsola, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Czech President Petr Pavel, ex-Foreign Ministers Thordis Gylfadottir of Iceland and Gabrielus Landsbergis of Lithuania, Polish Foreign Minister Rodosław Sikorski, Swedish Foreign Minister Thobias Billström, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and former US State Secretary Hillary Clinton.
