Switzerland and EU deepen foreign and security policy

Kaja Kallas and Ignazio Cassis in Switzerland on Thursday. Keystone-SDA

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, have signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening cooperation on foreign and security policy. Regular dialogue is planned.

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“Nowadays, no regional conflict remains regional,” Cassis told the media in Zurich on Thursday evening, referring to the situation in the Middle East. The conflict has repercussions on Switzerland’s energy supply, among other things, and it is therefore all the more important for Switzerland to maintain stable relations with the EU at this time, he said.

The declaration signed on Thursday provides for an annual political dialogue at ministerial level between the EU and Switzerland. The first implementation was planned immediately after the signing.

+ Why Switzerland is struggling with its national defence  

“Today we will talk about the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East,” said Kallas. Everyone agrees that the war in Ukraine must be ended as quickly as possible. “But Russia does not want peace,” according to the Estonian. That is why we must continue to support Ukraine and exert even greater pressure on Russia. Under no circumstances should Russia’s aggression be rewarded, she said.

In addition to the declaration on deepening cooperation in foreign and security policy, Switzerland and the EU also signed a framework agreement on possible future Swiss contributions to civilian and military missions.

The text should simplify the procedure for sending military personnel, but the agreement does not contain any obligations for Switzerland. “If Swiss soldiers are to be sent anywhere, parliament will, as before, have the final say,” said Cassis.

The two new agreements are not part of the package of agreements between Switzerland and the EU (Bilaterals III).

Neutrality

“In one week, we have made more progress in our partnership than we have seen in many years,” said Kallas, who said she saw “potential to do more together to counter hybrid attacks”.

“Neutrality is not an obstacle to greater cooperation,” she also said, adding that the Swiss parliament’s decision in December to relax restrictions on Swiss-made weapons was “a step in the right direction”.

As a neutral country, Switzerland imposes restrictions on the re-export of arms to countries at war, which has been a point of friction between Switzerland and certain EU countries, including Germany, which wanted to send ammunition purchased several decades ago in Switzerland to Ukraine but was refused due to the provisions of Swiss law on war material.

+ Swiss parliament rejects neutrality initiative

In early December, parliament agreed to a request from the government to relax the rules and proposed a list of 25 countries, including the United States, Canada and 17 EU countries, that could benefit from exemptions.

Shortly after the US strikes in Venezuela, however, the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and NGOs opposed to this relaxation launched steps to demand a referendum. When asked during the conference about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on Switzerland’s neutrality, Cassis assured that neutrality remained in force.

During the 2003 Iraq War, Switzerland suspended arms deliveries to the United States and its allies. Regarding the current conflict, “we have not had any cases,” Cassis replied, explaining that “it will depend on the duration and intensity of the conflict”.

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Adapted from French by AI/ts

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