Switzerland will double its aid to Ukraine to CHF100 million ($104 million) by the end of 2023, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the Swiss city of Lugano.
He also freed up CHF15 million to support the country’s digital economy. “Ukraine has to lead [its reconstruction] but we have to support it,” said Cassis, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year.
In addition to its bilateral assistance, Switzerland will continue to support the initiatives of international organisations for Ukraine. Multilateral efforts are “an antidote to the use of force”, he said on Tuesday, the final day of the conference.
Switzerland also remains available to provide its good offices, he said. The Russian response to the possible representation of Russian interests in Ukraine or Ukrainian interests in Russia is still pending. Cassis said Switzerland was ready to host talks “to put an end to the war when the time comes”.
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Lugano summit seeks deal to rebuild war-torn Ukraine
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The Swiss city of Lugano is hosting a two-day meeting to plan the reconstruction of Ukraine. How can states help the war-ravaged country?
For his part, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, speaking in Lugano, repeated that his country was the victim of “genocide”. He again thanked the international community for its support.
He said the cost of rebuilding Ukraine following Russia’s invasion could reach $750 billion (CHF720 billion) and rich Russians should help pay the bill.
“We believe that the key source of recovery should be the confiscated assets of Russia and Russian oligarchs,” he said, citing estimates that frozen Russian assets were worth $300-$500 billion.
“The Russian authorities unleashed this bloody war. They caused this massive destruction and they should be held accountable for it.”
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The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
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Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
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Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
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Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
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Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
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What are Switzerland’s good offices good for?
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As tensions and oil prices rise in the Middle East, the Swiss foreign ministry is offering its good offices. But what are they?
Rebuilding Ukraine: how much can the Lugano summit achieve?
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How to set Ukraine on the path to recovery is the focus of a major international conference hosted by Switzerland that starts on Monday.
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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.