Switzerland announces intent to deepen NATO cooperation
The government plans to examine the idea of deploying conscripts for joint training missions as well as rules around the transit of foreign military personnel through Switzerland.
“A legal basis is to be created while respecting the limits of neutrality,” wrote the government in a report on Wednesday, which was previously commissioned by parliament. Based on the conclusions, the government will now examine whether and – if so – which measures should be further intensified or implemented.
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Overall, the plan is to boost cooperation with NATO in the area of defence. “Switzerland has largely imposed current restrictions upon itself; it is therefore up to it to abandon or at least adapt them within the framework of the law on neutrality,” the report stated.
The government also said that no obligations, dependencies or constraints should be entered into which would be incompatible with the country’s neutrality. In times of peace, for example, certain co-operations could require a neutrality clause.
“In this case, it would be up to Switzerland to decide whether to activate such a clause,” it wrote.
Translated from German by DeepL/dos
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