Swiss president envisions follow-ups to peace summit

The Ukraine peace summit will be held at the Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne. Keystone/Michael Buholzer

Swiss President Viola Amherd assumes that the Ukraine peace conference organised by her country in mid-June is only a prelude to further negotiations.

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“It is clear to us that we will not sign a peace agreement at the end of the conference,” Defence Minister Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (published Friday). Both parties need to be at the table for peace, she said, referring to the fact that Russia is not taking part in the summit. “Russia could then also be present at a possible follow-up conference.”

According to Switzerland, more than 80 countries have confirmed their participation, including Germany with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Russia itself has not been invited to the conference taking place on June 15-16 at the Bürgenstock resort above Lake Lucerne, although the government in Moscow has also indicated that it would not have sent representatives even if it had been invited. 

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Amherd went on to say that the conference was intended to create a platform for dialogue at which the first step would be to discuss how peace could be achieved in Ukraine. It would not be about peace in Ukraine in the narrow sense, but “only” about humanitarian issues, nuclear safety, freedom of navigation and food security. “We want to build trust and seek solutions to these issues, which are important for the civilian population and then also for peace later on,” she explained. 

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Amherd emphasised that it was also important for the success of the conference that countries close to Russia take part. India has given a commitment to attend. In the case of South Africa, nothing has been definitively decided yet. According to a public statement, China has cancelled, but has also said that it attaches great importance to the peace conference. Talks are still ongoing.

“It was important for us that not only Western European countries and the US are taking part. Around half of the more than 80 participants who have already confirmed their attendance are from Western Europe, the other half from Africa, South America and Asia. The Global South is therefore represented,” Amherd stated.

Adapted from German by DeepL/kc

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