DThe European Union is increasing its financial support to the Belarusian civil society. “Today we are increasing our support with an additional 30 million euros for small and medium-sized companies in young people, independent media, exile and cultural workers,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Belarusian opposition on Sunday. Said after meeting with. Leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya. This will be almost double what has been promised so far.
In early December 2020, Brussels launched support for “initiatives by the local government and citizens’ groups”, particularly in Belarus. A scholarship program for students and young professionals affected by the political crisis in Belarus, as well as advisory services for companies and support for public health initiatives, was also planned.
“The citizens of Belarus have a legitimate right to determine the fate of their country,” von der Leyen said on Twitter. The European Union is on their side.
The European Union has accused the Belarusian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko, of fraudulent elections and violent suppression of protests critical of the government, and imposed a number of sanctions.
Tichanovskaya fled the country in August 2020 following a controversial presidential election in Belarus. The Parliament of the European Union awarded him and other Belarusian opposition members with the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights.
