PRESS RELEASE : Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the President of Switzerland in Kyiv [October 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, who is on a visit to our country.

The Head of State thanked Ignazio Cassis for his visit to Ukraine, which testifies to the impossibility of maintaining neutrality in times of extraordinary challenges for the security of the entire continent and humanity.

As the President of Ukraine noted during a conversation with media representatives following the meeting with Ignazio Cassis in Kyiv, Russia has now moved to a new stage of escalation and intensified terror against Ukrainian cities, using missile attacks and Iranian combat drones.

“The key topic of our negotiations with Mr. President of Switzerland is further interaction in response to the terror of the Russian Federation,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President of Ukraine thanked Switzerland for its clear and principled condemnation of Russia’s criminal attempt to annex the occupied territories of Ukraine and its support for the EU’s sanction packages against the Russian Federation.

“We also expect that Switzerland will support our steps in response to the complicity of Iran, which helps Russia terrorize our cities by sending combat drones,” the Ukrainian Head of State said.

According to him, during the meeting, the possibilities of assistance from Switzerland in eliminating the consequences of Russian strikes on energy facilities of Ukraine and its participation in the modernization of transport infrastructure, in particular railways, were discussed.

Separately, the interlocutors focused on the issue of rebuilding our country.

“I want to thank Mr. President Cassis once again for organizing a conference in Lugano dedicated to the recovery of Ukraine. Our Swiss friends have been informed about the areas in which they can most effectively participate within the Fast Recovery Plan,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition, the leaders discussed the involvement of Switzerland in the development of certain sectors of the Ukrainian economy, in particular the processing industry.

“Switzerland’s investment potential is very significant, and cooperation with Ukraine can bring real benefits to our peoples,” the President of Ukraine is convinced.

Taking into account the unique experience of the Swiss side, the participants of the negotiations substantively discussed cooperation in the field of demining and construction of bomb shelters in Ukraine. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, an agreement was reached to hold a meeting of working groups for the implementation of these projects.

Separately, the Head of State thanked President Ignazio Cassis for his country’s support of initiatives and programs to search for missing persons, assistance in investigating the crimes of the Russian occupiers, and the provision of forensic equipment.

“We agreed on close cooperation within the UN regarding Ukrainian initiatives to create a compensation mechanism and a special tribunal. I am sure that our cooperation will only strengthen in all spheres: politics, economy, on international platforms, in the humanitarian sphere,” the President of Ukraine emphasized and thanked his Swiss colleague for substantive negotiations, in which a wide range of representatives took part, and for the constant support of our state and people.

For his part, the President of the Swiss Confederation noted that his country provides the Ukrainian state with support in various areas, in particular humanitarian aid, which is intended to meet the urgent needs of Ukraine and its citizens. 5.5 thousand tons of humanitarian goods were transferred, and experts were sent to help our country.

Ignazio Cassis said that before the meeting with the Head of State, he visited Borodyanka and Ivankiv in the Kyiv region, in particular, a kindergarten for children with disabilities that was rebuilt thanks to the help of Switzerland. He also spoke with Ukrainian families who received housing assistance.

The President of the Swiss Confederation noted that what he saw gives a complete picture of the atrocities committed and the suffering of people, and expressed his admiration for the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people.

“From the very beginning, Switzerland strongly condemned this Russian military aggression. We immediately developed concrete steps to support Ukraine. Switzerland is a neutral country, but this does not mean that we should not pay attention to what is happening in Ukraine. Mass murders of people are something that has nothing to do with neutrality or our values,” he emphasized.

According to Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland will continue to support reforms in Ukraine, the decentralization process and the development of digital transformation.

“Our contribution to the digital sphere continues with an additional CHF 15 million to support the digitization process. Digital solutions are critical – they can save lives and make public services much easier to access,” he said.

The President of Switzerland also declared his readiness to help bring war criminals to justice and assist in the search for missing Ukrainian citizens.

“Switzerland will continue and, if necessary, intensify cooperation with international partners regarding the implementation of sanctions against the Russian Federation,” Ignazio Cassis said.

He expressed conviction that it is necessary to help Ukraine restore the normal life of people right now, without waiting for the end of the war.