Polish foreign minister meets with Cichanoŭskaja, declares support for civil society

January 8, Pozirk. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has met with Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja and her delegation, the Polish foreign office reported.

“Sikorski emphasized Poland’s commitment to supporting civil society in Belarus. He applauded the activities of the Belarusian democratic opposition in exile and expressed support for the country’s democratic and European aspirations,” it said in a news release.

“The meeting proved an opportunity for underscoring Poland’s objection to policies pursued by the Minsk authorities, which since the rigged presidential election of August 2020 have continued to stamp out all symptoms of independence, with repression targeting the regime’s political opponents at an unprecedented scale,” it added.

The minister recalled that Poland had repeatedly called on Belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners, including journalist Andrej Pačobut (Andrzej Poczobut), and to stop reprisals.

On December 14, Sikorski thanked Cichanoŭskaja for congratulating him on his appointment as Polish foreign minister.

“Thank you, President Cichanoŭskaja. Your husband and all the other political prisoners in Belarus, are heroes in the cause of freedom. Poland will work to welcome you one day as an independent, democratic and European neighbor,” the diplomat said.

A day earlier, Cichanoŭskaja stressed that Sikorski’s appointment “fills us with great hope for the future.” She expected to meet him soon and further strengthen “our close collaboration.”

Sikorski took the helm of the Polish foreign ministry on December 13 as Premier Donald Tusk and his ministers were sworn in at the Presidential Palace. Sikorski already held this position in 2007-14, after serving as defense minister for two years.

He is a symbolic “godfather” to political prisoner Siarhiej Cichanoŭski, a former presidential hopeful and Śviatłana’s husband.