Switzerland sees Bürgenstock as a milestone on the way to a higher goal
Published: Monday, Jun 10th 2024, 12:00
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Switzerland is ready for the Ukraine peace conference at Bürgenstock NW. It is trying to use the event to create momentum for a peace process. President Viola Amherd and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis presented these messages to the media in Bern on Monday.
At the conference, Amherd said on the status of preparations that ninety countries and organizations had so far registered for the conference next weekend in the canton of Nidwalden. Half of the registered delegations come from Europe and North America, the other half from other continents.
Around half of the states were represented by their heads of state and government, the rest by ministers or other representatives. Everything is still in flux, they said, as did Foreign Minister Cassis. Only on Friday will it really become clear who is coming.
"The security measures are on track," said Karin Kayser-Frutschi, Nidwalden's Director of Justice and Security. The cooperation between the Nidwalden cantonal police and the federal partners is going well, explained the commander of the cantonal police there, Stephan Grieder.
Cassis wants Russia on board
Cassis said that he would fight for Russia's participation until the eve of the conference. However, this plan is hardly realistic.
The fact that Russia was not officially invited was due to a combination of two elements: On the one hand, Russia's clear rejection and, on the other, Ukraine's unwillingness to allow Russia to participate.
The aim is to have Russia present at the next conference, for which the meeting on the Bürgenstock will provide the groundwork. Because it would not work without Russia; that was clear. There is already a final declaration for the Bürgenstock conference. It is also already being consulted on.
It was hoped that the declaration would be approved by all participants, but this would of course depend on how the conference went. The aim is for Switzerland to be able to announce next Sunday after the meeting where a follow-up conference will take place.
There are countries that are interested. The idea is to hold the conference outside the Western world in order to be able to use the support of the participation of the countries of the South and the Arab world.
When asked whether the conference could also fail, Cassis said that the alternative would be to sit back. "That's not what we wanted." Switzerland was trying to create momentum towards peace. But that would be like climbing a steep mountain. So now the Bürgenstock, just over a thousand meters high, awaits first.
Cassis defended himself against the accusation that hosting the conference was a step too far for Switzerland. "Switzerland must have the courage to do things that it can do."
Three sub-goals
Switzerland has divided the overarching goal of achieving peace in Ukraine into three sub-goals. Goal one is to provide a platform on the Bürgenstock for dialog on ways to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine on the basis of international law and the UN Charter.
Secondly, the conference should develop a common understanding of a possible framework for achieving this goal. Thirdly, a roadmap is to be drawn up on how both parties can be involved in a future peace process.
Amherd said that progress needed to be made in various dossiers, namely nuclear safety, food security and humanitarian aspects. She has repeatedly heard praise for this Swiss initiative from other countries.
With open communication against disruptive maneuvers
Switzerland is taking action against disruptive maneuvers against the conference, such as disinformation campaigns, with open and rapid communication, Amherd continued. It is important to provide information correctly and quickly so that people receive the correct information.
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