On 16 March, National Council president Irène Kälin will receive the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the Parliament Building where the two will discuss the war in Ukraine and the current situation in Belarus.

Topics on the agenda for the talks between National Council president Irène Kälin (Greens/AG) and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya next Wednesday include the amendment to the Belarusian constitution at the end of February abolishing the country’s nuclear neutrality, the country’s role in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the opposition's commitment to fair and free elections, and the release of activist Natallia Hersche.

This is already the third meeting between Swiss parliamentarians and the Belarusian opposition leader: in October 2020, a parliamentary delegation of the National Council led by former National Council president Isabelle Moret (FDP/VD) met Ms Tsikhanouskaya in exile in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. In March 2021, she was received by National Council president Andreas Aebi (SVP/BE) and a parliamentary delegation for talks during the spring session. Irène Kälin also took part in both meetings.

The current meeting will take place with the participation of other parliamentarians.

At the end of the meeting at around 4.30pm, National Council president Irène Kälin and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will be available for a 15-minute Q&A session in Room 4 with accredited journalists.