Romanian president receives Belarus democratic opposition leader in show of solidarity

President Nicușor Dan received Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the democratic opposition in Belarus, at Cotroceni Palace on Wednesday, November 4, to reaffirm Romania’s solidarity with the Belarusian people in the face of repression.

“I welcomed Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition, at Cotroceni Palace. We had a very good discussion, and I reaffirmed Romania’s solidarity with the people of Belarus in the face of repression,” Nicușor Dan wrote on X on Thursday.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is this year's recipient of the Timișoara Award for European Values, established by the Municipality of Timișoara. The award will be presented to her in Timișoara during a gala ceremony to be held on November 6, on the sidelines of the Timișoara Forum for European Values.

“In awarding the prize, the jury recognized her courage in peacefully resisting a criminal regime, her tireless defense of freedom and human dignity, and her efforts to keep alive the hope of a democratic Belarus. The award reaffirms the solidarity of Timișoara and Romania with the citizens of Belarus and their legitimate aspiration for democracy,” the Timișoara City Hall said.

A former English teacher and mother of two, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became the symbol of a democratic movement that challenged the falsification of the presidential election and the repression of the authoritarian regime led by Aleksandr Lukashenko.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, she established and led the United Transitional Cabinet, alongside the Coordination Council. She worked to build an institutional alternative to the Lukashenko regime, with recognized interlocutors in European capitals. Her office in Vilnius operates as a de facto diplomatic mission, and in 2026, her activities expanded with the opening of an office in Warsaw.

Tsikhanouskaya has consistently advocated for the release of political prisoners and a peaceful transition to democracy. Her sustained campaign contributed to the release of political prisoners in 2025, negotiated by the US with European support. Her husband, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, was among the 14 political prisoners released. In December, another 123 prisoners were released, following the release of more than 60 in June and September, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.