The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk met with the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis
“Two years ago, during our meeting in Lugano, we started discussing the restoration of Ukraine. At that time, Switzerland was one of the founders of the reconstruction process. Today, Switzerland is one of the founders of the peace process,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed at the beginning of the meeting.
He expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by the Swiss Agency in organising the Global Peace Summit, the preparatory work of the partners to ensure the widest possible representation of countries and the preparation of this major event for the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
At the same time, Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked Switzerland for its participation in the work of the International Crimean Platform and its proactive position on justice and accountability. “It is important to join the Register of Damage and the coalition of states to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
In addition, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine said that Ukraine positively assesses the development of cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining and the fact that it has managed to reach a long-term programme of participation of Switzerland. He expressed confidence that it will be possible to ensure the clearing of Ukrainian territory from the traces of russian aggression as soon as possible.
During the conversation, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called on Switzerland to join the International Coalition of Countries for the Return of Ukrainian Children Deported by the russian federation. “This is an important issue for Ukraine, and I count on Switzerland's international influence in this matter,” he stressed.
At the same time, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine asked to recognise the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. “Honouring the memory of the victims of hateful policies remains a top priority for democratic states to prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the future,” said Ruslan Stefanchuk.
“Switzerland’s unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty in the face of russia's crime of aggression is of utmost importance to us,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine concluded.