May 23, Pozirk. Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has thanked Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström for an increase of 26 percent in support for Belarusian civil society this year, the Belarusian opposition leader’s aide Franak Viačorka has told Pozirk.
Target groups include independent media outlets, human rights defenders, cultural initiatives, students and the private sector, he said, noting that Sweden also allocated €430,000 to the international humanitarian fund set up by Cichanoŭskaja to support Belarusian political prisoners.
The Belarusian politician reportedly asked Billström to promote the fund to encourage donations by other countries.
She called on Stockholm to fund scholarships for Belarusian students, youth programs and education opportunities in public administration and diplomacy sectors.
Legalization of Belarusians in Sweden was also under discussion, following the notable progress with the availability of services to people with expired Belarusian passports and the changed status of Belarus, which is no longer considered safe by Swedish migration authorities.
Cichanoŭskaja praised Sweden’s principled and consistent approach to the Belarusian political crisis, describing it as an ally of Belarusian pro-democracy forces.
