Poles will never abandon Belarusians on their path to freedom, says Nawrocki
Poland will remain steadfast in its support for Belarusians striving for independence, President Karol Nawrocki has told Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the country's opposition.
Nawrocki met with Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of the Belarusian diaspora at a New Year's gathering at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw on Tuesday.
He said that Poland, as a nation that deeply values freedom, independence and sovereignty, seeks to demonstrate similar values towards its friends.
"I would like to thank all free Belarusians for persevering on this difficult path, which demands enormous sacrifice," Nawrocki addressed the attendees, reaffirming his commitment to supporting efforts to secure the release of freedom-seeking Belarusians who remain imprisoned by the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.
"You are on your long road to freedom and sovereignty, and Poland will never leave you alone on that journey," Nawrocki said, adding that there was a consensus about the matter between the Polish president and government.
Tsikhanouskaya said that for Belarusians, Poland exemplified strength, freedom and independence, a state that serves its citizens rather than a foreign empire. "That is exactly the Belarus I want to see," she concluded.
According to Belarusian opposition and human rights organisations, there are still around 1,300 political prisoners in the country. Many of them were arrested following the mass protests against the official results of the presidential election in 2020, which the opposition and international observers say was rigged. (PAP)
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