16:41 10.10.2024

Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine doesn't exclude revising of Switzerland's policy on re-export of war material

2 min read
Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine doesn't exclude revising of Switzerland's policy on re-export of war material

The Swiss parliament has been discussing several options to find a solution to the issue of weapons re-export to Ukraine, but it is not clear yet how long this process might take, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova Félix Baumann said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

"When it comes to the export of weapons, also the re-export of war material, Switzerland is bound by the law (it is called the War Materials Act), and at the same time, we are bound by the principle of equal treatment in neutrality law. And it's a legal reason why we cannot consent to the re-export of war material to Ukraine," he said.

At the same time, Baumann noted that there are deliberations in the Swiss parliament for a while on how to find a solution to this issue.

"Several ideas have been discussed in parliament," he said.

Asked how long the process of making a decision could take, the diplomat said he could not comment on the parliament's work as "they have their own schedule and their procedures."

"But I would say that parliament has heard that this topic is an important political issue and has been engaged in deliberations in attempts to find a solution," the ambassador said.

According to him, "given that there have been already deliberations for quite a while, we could expect somehow next year that we come to a vote."

Baumann also emphasized that Switzerland is a neutral country, but neutrality does not mean indifference.

"That's why we do support Ukraine in many fields," he said.

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