Today, November 27, 2024, Pavel Latushka, the deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet (UTC) and head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), was invited to the working group session of the Sejm and Senate of Poland.
During the first part of the meeting, elections were held for the chair of the "For a Free Belarus" Parliamentary Group. The former Marshal of the Sejm and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, now the chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Grzegorz Schetyna, was elected as the new chair.
In the second part of the meeting, Pavel Latushka presented proposals on behalf of the UTC of Belarus for cooperation with the group and actions to support the Belarusian society’s fight for democratic change. The key proposals included:
Non-recognition of the sham elections organized by Lukashenko on January 26, 2025.
Support for bringing Lukashenko to justice for crimes against the Belarusian people.
Assistance in legalizing Belarusian citizens in Poland, including Belarusian volunteers.
Access to higher education for applicants from Belarus.
Support for Belarusian identity and independent media.
Grzegorz Schetyna, the head of the group, noted that it is in Poland's interest to "maintain an active policy regarding Belarus, continue the isolation of the regime, and at the same time be open to Belarusian society".
Polish parliamentarians also emphasized the importance of focusing EU member states' attention on the situation in Belarus during Poland's presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2025. They will also support the participation of representatives of democratic institutions and initiatives in EU events during this presidency.
During the meeting, an agreement was reached to set a schedule for mutual events to focus attention on Belarusian issues in the European Union, including the importance of the release of political prisoners and stopping the mass repressions in Belarus. Public hearings in the Polish Parliament on the situation in Belarus are also planned, organized by the "For a Free Belarus" working group.
The second part of the meeting was also attended by Angelika Melnikova, the spokeswoman of the Coordination Council, who provided information on the activities of the Coordination Council and expressed readiness to cooperate with the Polish Parliamentary group. An agreement was made to develop mutual cooperation plans.
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