Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
03/31/2023 | Press release | Archived content
Debate to mark 105th anniversary of proclamation of Belarusian Democratic Republic
Debate to mark 105th anniversary of proclamation of Belarusian Democratic Republic
31.03.2023
On 31 March 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a debate titled "Belarus's independence 105 years ago and today". The event aimed to mark the 105th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian Democratic Republic celebrated on 25 March. It is a holiday when Belarusian society celebrates its independence, known as Freedom Day (Дзень Волі in Belarusian) and unrecognised by the Lukashenko regime.
Secretary of State at the MFA Piotr Wawrzyk opened the discussion, expressing concern over the developments in Belarus and the fact that the country has participated in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He stressed that Poland knows a significant part of Belarusian society does not condone such policy.
The panellists included: Alina Koushyk, responsible for National Revival at the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet, Artur Michalski, Poland's Ambassador to Belarus, Wojciech Konończuk, Director of the Centre for Eastern Studies, and Alaksandr Milinkievič, the opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential elections in Belarus. Speaking from various perspectives, they presented the significance the legacy of the Belarusian Democratic Republic has for today's Belarusians fighting for human rights, freedom, and an independent state. The debate was moderated by MFA Spokesperson Łukasz Jasina, who has specialised in Eastern issues for years.
The event was attended by numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Poland, the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet together with its Deputy Head Pavel Latushko, academia and research centres, the Belarusian communities abroad, and Polish circles engaged in providing assistance to Belarus.
The debate was an expression of support for Belarusian civil society in its pursuit of an independent and democratic state. Its purpose was also to show solidarity from Poles who have not been indifferent to repressive measures brought on our neighbours - both the Belarusian nation and the Polish minority - by the Lukashenko regime. Deputy Minister Wawrzyk underscored that a free and democratic Belarus will act as a guarantor of regional peace, adding that Poland wants to support the creation of this kind of Belarus.
The co-organiser and host of the debate was the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, which provided a moving musical setting for the event. Once the discussion was over, the guests could listen to pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, or the contemporary composer Mikołaj Majkusiak. The performers included Belarusian students of the Chopin University of Music.
Łukasz Jasina
MFA Spokesperson
Photo: Barbara Wojciechowska/MFA