2024 has been a really intense 12 months within the bilateral relations between Switzerland and Ukraine, most likely the busiest we now have ever been witnessing since Ukraine’s Independence 33 years in the past. The images of the world leaders gathering in June on the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on the Swiss Bürgenstock Resort overlooking Lake Lucerne to debate what a future peace course of might appear to be, will stay as an affidavit of one of many main diplomatic efforts deployed this 12 months.
The 12 months began in Davos with Switzerland internet hosting a gathering within the framework of the Peace System on the degree of the Nationwide Safety Advisers. In June, Summit on Peace in Ukraine occurred in Switzerland. In September, Switzerland acknowledged the good Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933 Holodomor as genocide towards the Ukrainian civilian inhabitants. The Ukraine Mine Motion Convention held in October in Lausanne underlined Switzerland’s dedication to assist Ukraine in its enormous problem to demine huge parts of its territory. The President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, had the honour to welcome President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Switzerland twice this 12 months, in addition to Prime Minister Shmyhal. Our Overseas Ministers met a number of instances. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the Vice Prime Minister for Improvements, Growth of Training, Science & Applied sciences — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, additionally paid official visits to Switzerland. Fairly a formidable bilateral agenda certainly!
Ukraine has defended itself for 1037 days from the large-scale navy aggression of the Russian Federation towards its territory, its independence, its sovereignty and its folks. I’ve been in Ukraine for only a bit greater than half of this time. 556 days have handed since I had the privilege handy over my so-called letters of credence – confirming my Authorities’s determination to nominate me as an Ambassador to Ukraine – to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within the courtyard of St. Sophie Cathedral in Kyiv. Since that day, it has been my privilege to serve in a rustic at battle with such a welcoming and sort inhabitants and with simply accessible authorities authorities regardless of all of the difficulties.
A trustful and long-standing partnership: Switzerland’s cooperation and restoration efforts
A reality which stays little recognized is that Switzerland didn’t begin to assist Ukraine in 2022, nor in 2014. Switzerland is supporting Ukraine with joint cooperation initiatives for nearly thirty years. Within the fields of excellent governance and decentralization, well being, the promotion of small and medium enterprises and the event of sensible cities. In 2022, priorities have been tailored to consider the brand new challenges introduced by the full-scale navy aggression. Nevertheless, the general path of our engagement proved to be proper, as these subjects nonetheless stay very related. The decentralization is extensively seen as an essential cause why the municipalities stayed resilient within the wartime. The demand for high quality healthcare, together with battle trauma rehabilitation and psychological well being, will solely improve sooner or later. A brand new precedence which was added to our portfolio is humanitarian demining – rendering agricultural lands, forests and faculties secure is the prerequisite for financial restoration. But in addition aiding victims and fostering the danger consciousness of the inhabitants in entrance of the risks represented by landmines and explosive remnants of battle.
The Swiss Authorities has introduced its intention to contribute with 5 billion EUR to Ukraine’s restoration within the subsequent 12 years, whereas 1.5 billion EUR have been allotted for the approaching 4 years. The brand new cooperation programme for 2025-2028 is at the moment been drafted – one new side would be the elevated engagement of the non-public sector, because the wants in Ukraine clearly overpass the probabilities of the general public sector.
By way of our humanitarian crew, we’re proud to have the ability to present assist and be current with our personal crew travelling to totally different elements of the nation, having shut relations with the regional and native authorities in addition to native implementation companions. This enables us to react swiftly and effectively to evolving wants.
Since my appointment, I at all times have the objective to exit of the Kyiv bubble and to see the nation with out the capital's gloss. Vinnytsia was the vacation spot of my first journey out of Kyiv in July 2023. The handfuls of Mirage and Tram 2000 trams working the streets of town nonetheless proudly put on their blue and white design within the colors of Zurich. With the arrival of many IDPs to sure cities and the wants of individuals with disabilities, the event of environment friendly public transport good points additionally in significance elsewhere. Buses from the Swiss metropolis of St.Gallen have been delivered to the Metropolis of Chernihiv this autumn, and Lviv will shortly witness the primary pink low-floor trams from Bern in its streets.
Vinnytsia can also be town that brings again reminiscences of my first "Kherson cake" I tasted in a small relocated bakery. In supporting early restoration efforts, we help Ukrainian micro and small companies – bakeries, cafés, textile ateliers. These entrepreneurs present hope to their fellow residents, particularly in areas near the entrance.
Not solely Ukrainian, but in addition Swiss enterprise working in Ukraine has gone by means of tough instances, however the overwhelming a part of the businesses have stayed within the nation, displaying an unbelievable resilience, holding jobs, and contributing to nationwide taxes. It’s with pleasure that I see Swiss corporations making main investments in new manufacturing services in Volyn and Lviv areas. Lately, I had the honour to signal an MoU with the Metropolis of Kharkiv on a pilot venture that may assist allow Swiss enterprise to offer items for the partial restore of broken civilian buildings within the metropolis. It is step one in direction of broader engagement of Swiss enterprise within the reconstruction means of Ukraine.
The challenges and the wants differ extensively from one space to a different in Ukraine. Subsequently, we’d like an entire vary of devices to be deployed concurrently. Within the east, Switzerland could be very energetic with humanitarian help. We work with all the foremost UN companies which play a key function within the assist to Ukraine, but in addition with many native companions. The localization of the humanitarian response is essential to make sure the mandatory resilience. This 12 months’s winter is extraordinarily difficult for Ukrainians as a result of repeated assaults on the crucial power infrastructure. We supplied mills, stable gas, winter clothes, assist to restore broken houses, warmth pumps and power programs, and meet pressing humanitarian wants with an extra winter contribution of round 45 million EUR.
Yet another virtually unknown reality is that Switzerland was among the many first donors to consider in and assist the Diia app. Since then, e-services and digitalization of Ukraine are amongst our key priorities. With the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we now have just lately signed an extra 2.8 billion UAH assist for the EGAP programme. Within the meantime, Ukraine has overpassed most different nations, and we now have loads to be taught from Ukraine in terms of the supply of digital public companies.
We’re glad additionally to assist on-line schooling, however greater than that we attempt to revive the offline schooling, which is essential for Ukrainian youngsters. This September, in Chernihiv, I visited broken faculties that are at the moment being renovated with Swiss funding by means of the Resolve venture. Other than it, we attempt to deal with the Vocational and Coaching Training, which could be very widespread in Switzerland. In Ukraine, VET system continues to be thought-about not that prestigious, sadly, however it’s the solely option to practice in-demand specialists who will likely be concerned within the reconstruction and restoration of Ukraine.
Relating to Switzerland, we can’t overlook to say our efforts in peacebuilding and human rights initiatives. This involvement contains a variety of subjects – from delivering DNA analyzers for identification of lacking individuals to supporting Ukrainian human rights NGOs and making certain accountability and justice for victims.
What means neutrality within the 2020s?
The navy aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine had an impression on Switzerland’s overseas coverage and the Swiss engagement in Ukraine. Switzerland is a impartial nation. However this doesn’t imply indifference. Fairly on the contrary. Switzerland has been welcoming greater than 100’000 refugees from Ukraine, at the moment about 67’000 are nonetheless within the nation. Switzerland has adopted the sanctions of the EU. Throughout its two years as an elected member of the UN Safety Council, Switzerland has time and again condemned within the strongest phrases Russia’s violation of worldwide regulation and the UN Constitution, together with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Worldwide organizations, notably the UN and the ICRC, play an important function in assuaging the struggling of the Ukrainian folks. Many companions from "Worldwide Geneva", just like the Geneva Worldwide Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the Geneva Heart for Safety Sector Governance, FSD – Fondation Suisse de Déminage, Geneva Name, Humanitarian Dialogue and lots of extra are energetic in Ukraine. And, Worldwide Humanitarian Legislation – the Geneva Conventions – goals at holding a minimal of humanity even in an armed battle. This valuable algorithm have to be stored intact and never undermined. Now we have no different to it.
Nonetheless, the query of Switzerland's neutrality is the one which many Ukrainians ask me. Let me briefly clarify it right here. The premise of Switzerland's neutrality is our Neutrality Act. It solely applies to the navy sphere. Principally, a impartial state can’t do two issues: it can’t be part of a navy alliance and it isn’t allowed to assist warring states militarily. However past the Neutrality Act, the federal government can also be certain by our Struggle Materials Act, which has a provision that excludes exports or the re-export of battle materiel to combatants. However there are deliberations in our parliament for some time on easy methods to discover a resolution to this difficulty. A number of concepts are being mentioned in parliament.
I feel that our neutrality was one of many the reason why the primary Summit on Peace in Ukraine was held in Switzerland and why so many nations agreed to take part in it. Undoubtedly, the occasion was the height of our bilateral relations this 12 months. Months of preparation, coordination and intense work by each the Ukrainian and Swiss sides. And tangible outcomes. 100 States from all around the world and worldwide organizations. The intention of this summit was to provoke a peace course of and have interaction for the primary time in a dialogue on the degree of Heads of State and Authorities on what such a peace course of might appear to be. The joint communiqué represents a milestone on this regard.
2025 will with little question be one other intense 12 months in our bilateral relationship. Switzerland will proceed its efforts in supporting Ukraine and the worldwide neighborhood on the way in which in direction of a complete, simply and lasting peace. Might 2025 carry the courageous Ukrainian folks hope for a greater future.
Felix Baumann, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
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