Niinistö, Tsikhanouskaya discuss Belarus situation

Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Wednesday, on the second day of her two-day visit to Helsinki met with President Sauli Niinistö and discussed the situation in Belarus, said the President Office in a twitter post.

Tsikhanouskaya in her twitter post wrote that they discussed the role of Lukashenka’s regime in Russia's war against Ukraine and in the crimes against his own people.

“With Finland President Niinisto, we discussed the role of Lukashenka’s regime in Russia's war against Ukraine & in the crimes against his own people. Finland knows very well the value of freedom & independence. It also knows how it is to live with a revanchist empire as a neighbor,” the Belarusian opposition leader wrote in her twitter post after the meeting.

Tsikhanouskaya also met with Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on Wednesday.

“Glad to host Belarus opposition leader Tsihanouskaya in Finland. Finland’s strong support to democratic opposition continues. We urge the current regime to respect human rights and democratic values. Thank you for the visit and good discussions!” The Ministry for Foreign Affairs wrote in a twitter post, quoting Haavisto as saying.

“I can call Finland FM Haavisto a real friend of Belarus. We discussed the death of minister Makei, the inhuman treatment of political prisoners, accountability for the regime's cronies & joint action in the international arena. I asked to help students & activists with scholarships,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote in her twitter after the meeting with the Foreign Minister.

Earlier, on Tuesday, on the first day of her visit, Tsikhanouskaya met with Prime Minister Sanna Marin and urged Finland to provide assistance to repressed Belarusians, human rights activists and independent media.