On June 6th, Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, met with representatives of the Belarusian diaspora in Lublin. They discussed a wide range of pressing issues, including: legal pathways for Belarusians in Poland; obtaining and extending Polish travel documents (with the possibility of extending validity up to 3 years); navigating the process of obtaining documents for higher education in Poland; the potential for criminal prosecution of Lukashenko regime officials in Poland under universal jurisdiction; progress in issuing warrants and bringing to justice those guilty of crimes against humanity in Belarus; obtaining Polish visas; evacuation plans for Belarusian citizens at risk of detention and arrest; the potential of the New Belarus passport; the importance of a strong and effective Coordination Council; support for Belarusian cultural projects and educational opportunities in Poland (including the Kalinowski program); and many other urgent topics.
During the meeting, Latushka strongly condemned the Lukashenko regime's actions on the Belarusian-Polish border, stating that the regime is deliberately escalating tensions and provoking instability. He accused the regime of sending saboteurs into Poland to commit acts of terrorism, calling these actions deliberate attempts to sabotage the historically strong relationship between Belarusians and Poles.
Latushka expressed his deep condolences to the family and friends of the Polish soldier who was recently killed during an attack by migrants pushed across the border. He emphasized that the Belarusian people do not share Lukashenko's hostility towards Poland, stating that Belarusians are committed to good relations with their Polish neighbors. It’s Lukashenko who wants a war with Poland, and it is his regime that is doing everything to destroy the relationship between Belarusian and Polish peoples.
Pavel Latushka also shared positive developments from his meeting at the Lublin city administration earlier that day. He and representatives from Lublin's Belarusian community discussed their plans to showcase Belarusian culture as part of Lublin's bid for European Capital of Culture. These plans include a comprehensive program of Belarusian cultural events and a proposal to name a street in Lublin in honor of Belarus and its people.
During his meeting with Krzysztof Stanowski, Director of the Center for International Cooperation of the Lublin City Hall, and Magdalena Zaremba-Opalińska, Head of the Culture Department, Pavel Latushka expressed his gratitude for their support of the "Personnel Reserve for New Belarus" project, an internship program that brought future Belarusian civil servants to Lublin on 11 December 2023. They agreed to continue supporting this program, with another round of internships planned for late 2024. They also discussed plans to feature Belarusian cultural events as part of Lublin's "Middle East" festival.
Pavel Latushka and Lublin city officials also explored opportunities to collaborate with the "Free Kupalaucy" theater group. Latushka, who previously served as General Director of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater in Minsk, signed a cooperation agreement with Lublin's Juliusz Osterwa Theater in 2020. The city's Department of Culture expressed interest in supporting a joint theatrical production.
The possibility of naming a street in Lublin after a prominent figure in Belarusian culture and history, or a significant date in Belarusian history, was also raised. The Center for International Cooperation and the city's cultural department expressed their support for this initiative.
Therefore, Pavel Latushka invited all Belarusians to submit their suggestions for naming the new street in Lublin through the NAM team's social media channels or the NAM chatbot.
The meeting was part of Pavel Latushka’s ongoing outreach to Belarusian communities across Poland and beyond. In the past month alone, he has participated in meetings in Bialystok, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, and Lublin, as well as virtual meetings with Belarusian communities in France and Israel. In total, these meetings have reached approximately 700 people.