Switzerland approves bilateral agreement with Ukraine on reconstruction

The Swiss government has approved a draft bilateral agreement on cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine regarding the country's reconstruction. This is stated in a statement by the Swiss government, reports UNN.

At its meeting on June 25, the Federal Council approved a draft bilateral agreement on cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine regarding the country's reconstruction. The draft agreement will create a legal framework for closer involvement of the Swiss private sector in the reconstruction process of Ukraine. The agreement will be signed during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, which will be held in Rome. After signing, the Federal Council will initiate the consultation procedure and submit a corresponding request to the Swiss Parliament for ratification 

Details

The statement notes that the reconstruction of Ukraine poses huge challenges, so in the summer of 2024, the Federal Council of the country developed a number of measures to encourage greater involvement of the Swiss private sector as a complement to humanitarian aid and regular international cooperation projects in Ukraine.

Currently, work with the private sector is limited to Swiss companies that are already operating in Ukraine. In order for Swiss companies that are not yet present in Ukraine to participate in this work, a new legal framework is needed.

The agreement will allow Switzerland to provide Ukraine with non-refundable financial assistance for the purchase of goods and services from Swiss companies for reconstruction projects. Support will be provided primarily in sectors that are priorities for Ukraine, where Swiss international cooperation is already underway and where Switzerland has a competitive advantage. These include energy, transport and mobility, machinery and equipment, construction, water management, as well as disaster prevention and response

It is reported that the agreement will be signed by the Delegate of the Swiss Federal Council in Ukraine, Jacques Gerber, and the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, on the sidelines of the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.

On February 12, the Federal Council approved a program for Ukraine for 2025–2028, which marks the beginning of a twelve-year process of federal support for reconstruction, reforms and sustainable development in Ukraine. For this purpose, 1.5 billion francs (1.86 billion dollars) have been allocated from the international cooperation budget until 2028, a third of which will be allocated to increase the participation of the Swiss private sector in the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Let us remind

In Switzerland, politicians are demanding a review of the protection status for Ukrainians. The Swiss People's Party has called on the country's National Council to completely abolish the S protection status for Ukrainian citizens. The initiators appeal to the fact that "a significant part of Ukrainian territory is currently stable and not in the war zone".