Swiss ‘could lose military contracts’ over re-export restrictions
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Switzerland's stance on the re-export of arms to Ukraine makes it a less reliable supplier of military hardware to European partners, says former EU chief negotiator Christian Leffler.
This content was published on
2 minutes
La Liberté/ac
Italiano
it
La Svizzera “potrebbe perdere contratti militari” a causa delle restrizioni alla riesportazione
“In future, countries will think twice before placing orders with Switzerland,” the Swede said in an interview published in the La Liberté paper on Monday. He warned that the Swiss military industry runs the risk of losing contracts.
Several states are finding that Switzerland is not as reliable as they thought, added the former negotiator, who called for an end to “political acrobatics”. In his view, Switzerland must quickly authorise the sale, resale and transfer of arms and munitions to Ukraine, and also better track the money of oligarchs.
Switzerland is under strong international pressure to allow re-exports of Swiss-made weapons. Spain, Germany and Denmark, among others, have requested that Swiss-made war materiel be sent to Kyiv. The Swiss government has so far always opposed this, invoking the law of neutrality and the law on war materiel.
Two interventions calling for a relaxation of the re-export provisions failed in the spring session of parliament. Several parliamentary initiatives on this subject are still pending.
Switzerland has also recently been called upon to do more to track down the money of Russian oligarchs. Several ambassadors of the G7 states have demanded in a letter for the Swiss government to take stronger action.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.