Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has arrived in Kyiv on her first official visit (VIDEO)
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has arrived in Ukraine on her first official visit. She travelled to Kyiv with her team at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Tikhanovskaya was met at Kyiv railway station by Yaroslav Chornogor, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Upon her arrival in the capital, the Belarusian opposition figure visited the grave of volunteer Maria Zaitseva and laid flowers in her memory.
“It was very important for me to begin this visit by paying tribute to a person who gave her life for the freedom of Ukraine and Belarus,” said Tikhanovskaya.
She also noted that Maria Zaitseva symbolises Ukrainian-Belarusian solidarity and the struggle against dictatorship.
On her social media accounts, Tsikhanouskaya thanked Ukrzaliznytsia for a “safe and speedy journey to Kyiv”. She posted a photo of her ticket, which read: “Przemyśl – Free Kyiv – Free Minsk”.
During her visit, Tikhanovskaya is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and European Union diplomats.
The opening of the Mission of the Democratic Forces of Belarus in Ukraine is also expected.
In addition to talks with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, Tsikhanouskaya will take part in the International Summit of Cities and Regions, held as part of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Tikhanovskaya to visit Ukraine at the end of January this year during their meeting in Vilnius.
The day before, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced the visit by the leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition against the backdrop of joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises.
Following a proposal by Belarus’s self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, to hold a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Ukrainian president would meet only with representatives of Belarus’s democratic forces.
Tikhanovskaya also commented on the massive Russian attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on the night of 24 May.
“The terror is supported by the Lukashenko regime,” she said, expressing solidarity with the Ukrainians and confidence in their victory.
