Press releases, 25.10.2022

On Tuesday 25 October, President Ignazio Cassis attended the International Expert Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which was held in Berlin at the invitation of the German G7 Presidency and the European Commission. The conference addressed how to ensure the success of Ukraine’s sustainable and inclusive reconstruction. The framework for the political process of reconstruction is the Lugano Declaration, an outcome of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2022).

President Cassis was invited to attend the event in Berlin by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the reconstruction process that has been set in motion together with the Ukrainian co-organisers of URC 2022. “Lugano created the framework and the principles. Today's expert conference marks another important step. It allows us to share the knowledge gained and deepen it," he said.

“It is vital that we continue the process of reconstruction in accordance with the agreed principles”, explained Mr Cassis: “We must be effective and efficient – out of a sense of duty to the people of Ukraine, but also to be accountable to our own citizens, who make these funds available and because failure is not an option!” He stressed that Switzerland was not indifferent, but resolutely committed, while strictly adhering to its neutrality.

Switzerland welcomes the aims of the Berlin Conference for an inclusive discussion on the reconstruction of Ukraine, bringing together all key political actors with experts, international organisations, think tanks, academia and representatives of civil society and the private sector.

Humanitarian assistance and reconstruction

President Cassis also reported on the talks he held last week in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Their discussions focused on the question of how the cornerstones of reconstruction set at URC2022 can be made effective for Ukraine.

Switzerland has been supporting Ukraine in the reform process for a number of years and is currently contributing to its reconstruction by means of cooperation projects and expertise on the ground. Switzerland's humanitarian aid in Ukraine is geared to the needs of the population in distress, which is crucial in view of the coming winter.


Further information:

FDFA Ukraine Dossier
Ukraine Recovery Conference 2022
Lugano Declaration
Address by the President of the Swiss Confederation


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