His statement appears to target fears over the channel’s future amid a reorganization of the TVP’s foreign-language entities and the introduction of new Russian and Ukrainian services.
“Belsat is and has always been part of Polish Television; it is financed by the Polish taxpayer, and nothing will change here,” Sikorski told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
TVP announced on July 4 that several foreign-language channels would be moved into a single organizational structure.
The new structure integrates the existing channels, - TVP World and Belsat. The former will change its name, while the latter will be divided into broadcasts of six hours of premiere programming per day—in Belarusian (Belsat), Russian (Vot-tak), and Ukrainian. The changes will come into effect on March 1, 2025.
In August, a group of Belarusians protested in front of the Prime Minister's office regarding the changes introduced to Belsat TV.
They appealed to the head of the Foreign Ministry to not reduce the amount of airtime in Belarusian, and to ensure it remains an independent entity despite the introduction of the Russian and Ukrainian sections.
PAP asked Sikorski whether it was viable to reverse the changes to Belsat and maintain it as a separate channel.
“Bełsat is and has always been part of Polish Television;, it is financed by the Polish taxpayer, and nothing changes here,” the minister of foreign affairs said.
“Poland needs television influence in several areas - Russian-speaking, Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian are spoken, but also German, French and English. And just like other public media such as the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, it will have radio stations,” Sikorski added.
“Of course, Belsat will be treated specifically because it is specific;, we do not want to erase its legacy, but we must remember that this is Polish taxpayer’s money,” Sikorski said.
“It is the Polish taxpayer who pays for it, and the Polish taxpayer requires that this money be spent proportional to the desired outcome,” he went on to say.
"Every złoty should work to inform Belarusian opinion about Belarus, about Poland, about the European Union. Our goal should be to achieve the best possible effect with the best possible organization of work," Sikorski concluded.
