On 27 October 2026, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Rapporteur for a democratic Belarus Belinda Gottardi (Italy, SOC/G/PD) met with the new delegation of the Belarusian Democratic Forces to the Congress, on the occasion of their participation in the Congress 51st plenary session.
The discussion centred on the severe challenges currently faced by Belarusians, both inside the country and in exile. The delegation briefed the President and the Rapporteur on the ongoing political persecution and transnational repression, the critical situation of political prisoners, and the need for continued support to the Belarus citizens living abroad. Participants highlighted the importance of municipal-level solidarity, emphasising the need to share and publicise good practices of host countries, and pointed to critical situations of vulnerable groups particularly affected by the regime’s repression.
The President reaffirmed the institution’s ongoing commitment to supporting Belarus democratic forces and civil society. In this regard, concrete prospects for continued collaboration between the Congress and the delegation were also discussed – including the upcoming Congress report on “The role of local and regional authorities in supporting Belarusian democratic forces and civil society in exile”, capacity development initiatives, and a roadmap for the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in a future democratic Belarus. Furthermore, the President and the delegation exchanged on the active integration of the Belarus representatives into the Congress’ activities, notably securing the participation of the members of the delegation in future local and regional election observation missions.
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