The head of armasuisse, Urs Loher, signed the memorandum of understanding and the declaration of Switzerland’s unilateral accession on Thursday.
The Swiss government had decided to join European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) last April. The Foreign Policy and Security Policy Committees approved the decision. Lohrer signed the membership application and a supplementary declaration on reservations relating to the law of neutrality at the beginning of July.
The latter allows Switzerland to withdraw from cooperation on the grounds of neutrality if a member of the initiative becomes involved in an international armed conflict. The member states of the initiative have given their agreement, armasuisse announced on Friday.
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European Sky Shield: what’s at stake for Switzerland?
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The Swiss government approved Switzerland’s participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative. What is the initiative and Switzerland’s role in it?
Joining ESSI will enable Switzerland to better coordinate procurement projects, training and logistics in the field of ground-air defense, armasuisse’s CEO said in a media interview on Friday. Purchasing costs will be reduced, as will delivery times, said Loher.
Switzerland will also be able to use training facilities abroad, particularly in northern Germany. In addition, joint procurement will increase the ability of European armies to cooperate in the event of conflict in Europe. If necessary, Switzerland will be able to defend itself in collaboration with other countries.
Adapted from French by DeepL/ac
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