Cassis said the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2022) was not meant as a donor event but as a step towards reforms of the state, including good governance, decentralisation, the separation of powers and the fight against corruption.
Speaking at a news conference in Bellinzona on Monday, Cassis said the reconstruction process would not be easy.
“The war is still raging [in Ukraine] but we know that the time will come for reconstruction, and this will take a long time and be complex,” the Keystone-SDA news agency quotes him as saying.
It will need a broad political and diplomatic process, he added.
The conference on July 4 and July 5 in the city of Lugano was planned long before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.
Zelensky
High-level delegations from about 40 countries and 20 international organisations have been invited to attend.
It is not clear yet whether the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, will attend the event in person or virtually, according to the Swiss foreign ministry.
The conference is due to address ”the priorities, methods and principles of reconstruction[…] and underline the broad support of international partners [….],” the ministry statementExternal link said.
Switzerland was asked to host the conference as a “long-standing partner of Ukraine in politics, business and culture,” it added.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
EC President to attend Ukraine conference in Switzerland
This content was published on
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano in July, according to news reports.
Swiss set aside CHF100 million in Ukraine development funding
This content was published on
The Ukrainian funds available to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for 2022 will not affect projects elsewhere, an official said on Thursday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.