A very important issue would be to set up a parliamentary group, Friends for Belarus, that would consist of members of the Canadian Parliament. That group would take some initiatives, initiate making statements, or hold fact-finding missions to our country so that Canadian people and members of the government are well aware of what's going there.
Secondly, we would welcome the formation of a Belarusian-Canadian group or society that would consist not only of members of Parliament, but also of representatives of different communities and NGOs, that would deal with broader issues, such as the issue that we touch upon in the Speak the Truth campaign. It would inform entrepreneurs of the economic opportunities in our countries and deal with the issues of civil society in general. This kind of coordination would be welcome.
In addition, something that has been very practical, and Parliament would have a role in it, is to urge CIDA to open a special technical program for Belarus to provide assistance in implementing different initiatives. If we do this, it would definitely boost Canadian-Belarusian cooperation. We would definitely put Canada in a unique perspective, because now, sadly, the issue of human rights and values-based politics is a rare thing.
Canada is unique in carrying out its politics based on values. Canada does not depend on Russian gas and oil, it doesn't have Russian corrupt money, and it's not tied up like America in agreements with Russia on Afghanistan and Iran. So it definitely is unique, and it can really, for the first time in history, play a major role in changing the situation of our country.