Russian and Ukrainian politicians expected at Geneva event

On the Swiss sanctions list: Pyotr Tolstoy, the deputy chairman of the State Duma in Russia. Keystone-SDA

Top parliamentarians from Russia and Ukraine are due to attend an international conference in Geneva at the end of July. Sanctioned members of the Russian delegation would need a special arrangement to allow them to enter the country.

The Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and the president of the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, are among those registered for the World Conference of Parliamentary Speakers, organised by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

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This can be seen from a provisional list of participants published on the conference websiteExternal link. Tamedia newspapers first reported about this on Wednesday. The conference will take place from July 29 to 31 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

According to the list, Ukraine will be represented by a four-person delegation. The Russian group consists of 13 people. In addition to Matviyenko, it includes the deputy head of the Russian Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev, and the deputy chairman of the State Duma, Pyotr Tolstoy.

Matviyenko and Tolstoy are both on the Swiss and European Union (EU) sanctions list. They would therefore require a special permit to enter Switzerland.

Entry could be possible

The Swiss foreign ministry told Keystone-SDA that Switzerland is responsible for facilitating the entry of official delegates within the framework of the government’s agreement with the IPU. If needed, sanctions could be temporarily lifted for the duration of the event.

According to the ministry, the Ordinance on Measures in Connection with the Situation in UkraineExternal link provides for entry and transit bans to Switzerland for natural persons and organisations designated as being at risk of sanctions.

According to this ordinance, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the foreign ministry could make exceptions, particularly if the person is coming to take part in an international conference. The foreign ministry did not comment on specific cases.

It remains to be seen whether the Russian and Ukrainian representatives will travel to Geneva as announced and whether the delegations will meet. The same applies to the delegations from Israel and Palestine, who have also registered.

The topic of war is not directly on the agenda of the conference. However, it does include a debate on parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for “peace, justice and prosperity for all”. According to the program, one panel will also discuss a “peaceful future” and finding new solutions for a “turbulent world”.

No confirmed meeting

Martin Chungong, the Secretary General of the IPU, told French-language Swiss public broadcaster RTS that no bilateral meetings have yet been confirmed. “We are continuing our efforts to bring the two parties closer together. It is not ruled out that there will be a meeting between the two delegations.”

“There are certain dossiers that are being discussed with both sides and they agree to conduct cooperation with the IPU to resolve these cases,” Chungong said. He cited the case of Ukrainian children who were displaced as a result of the war and who are in Russia.

“Both sides agree that efforts must be made to reunite these children with their families,” Chungong said.

Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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