Swiss conference on Ukraine’s recovery

An international conference on reconstructing post-war Ukraine is being held in the Swiss city of Lugano.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the conference by video link. He said, “Russia’s war is not just an attempt to take our country, but a challenge to the European system. The reconstruction of Ukraine is therefore not just a local matter, but the task of the entire democratic world.”

The two-day event had already been scheduled before the Russian invasion began in February. Several international politicians, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are participating. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is also there, along with several members of the Ukrainian parliament.

On the sidelines, Swiss Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga signed an agreement with Ukraine on implementing the Paris climate treaty. Elsewhere, delegates discussed ​the role of Ukraine’s parliament in the process of the war-torn nation’s recovery.