Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and Head of the People's Anti-Crisis Management, held a meeting with Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, the new Marshal of the Senate of Poland, at the invitation of the Polish side. The Belarusian delegation included Oleg Kulesha, an activist from the association of Belarusian political prisoners "Da Voli," Natallia Zadziarkouskaya, the Director of the Free Belarus Museum, blogger Artsiom Shaparov, freestyle dissident athlete and world champion in sambo Stepan Popov, and Igor Sigov, an actor from the troupe "Free Kupalautsy."
Pavel Latushkaa acknowledged the significance and pivotal role of Poland in formulating the European Union's collective policy towards the Lukashenko regime, as well as in providing support to Belarusian society and the democratic forces in Belarus. During the meeting, Latushko emphasized the importance of holding Lukashenko accountable and increasing sanctions pressure on the regime. He also informed about a previous meeting with the new Minister of Justice of Poland, Adam Bodnar, and plans for further meetings at the Ministry of Justice. The Belarusian representatives expressed solidarity with the Polish ethnic minority in Belarus and highlighted the case of Andrzej Poczobut, a political prisoner of the Lukashenko regime.
The representatives of Belarusian civil society presented several key points during the meeting, including:
Updating the international agenda regarding political detentions in Belarus and the release of prisoners.
The significance of issuing visas for citizens of Belarus, including political prisoners who have been released, to visit European Union countries.
Supporting free Belarusian athletes and providing appropriate organizational and financial assistance to those who require it to continue their sports careers.
Backing for independent media in Belarus.
The necessity of establishing a theatrical platform in Warsaw for Belarusian theater artists.
The Marshal of the Senate emphasized the importance of supporting free Belarusian athletes and preventing double sanctions against them, where the regime restricts their participation in international competitions, and international sports organizations fail to provide opportunities for their involvement. Małgorzata Kidawo-Błońska expressed her willingness to address this issue with the new Minister of Sports of Poland.
The discussion also addressed the support for Belarusian culture abroad, including the creation of a theatrical platform for the "Free Kupalautsy" and other Belarusian theater groups operating in Poland. The Marshal of the Senate expressed support for establishing such a platform in Poland to preserve Belarusian culture and facilitate its relocation to a new democratic Belarus. Assistance was requested for a meeting between representatives of the agricultural sector and the new Minister of Culture of Poland.
Pavel Latushka raised the issue of the legalization of Belarusians in Poland and sought assistance in establishing contacts between the agricultural sector and the new leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland.
During the meeting, the Marshal of the Senate emphasized the importance of supporting Belarusian society and the democratic forces during this challenging time for Belarus. She affirmed that the Polish parliament stands on the side of the Belarusian democratic forces. The head of the Senate agreed that the scheduled electoral event in present-day Belarus cannot be considered an election. She also expressed readiness to discuss the issues raised by representatives of the Belarusian public in collaboration with members of the new Polish government. An agreement was reached to hold regular meetings to discuss and resolve the problem of the Belarusian diaspora in Poland.
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