published by, Saurabh Verma
Last Update: March 12, 2023, 20:07 IST
Despite pressure from Kiev and its allies, Switzerland continues to block countries that prevent them from re-exporting Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine. (Representational image: Reuters)
While the wealthy Alpine country, which is not a member of the European Union, has followed the bloc’s lead on sanctions targeting Moscow, it has so far shown less flexibility on its military neutrality.
Swiss neutrality is more important than ever, President Alain Berset said in an interview published on Sunday, defending a controversial ban on the transfer of Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine.
“Swiss weapons should not be used in wars,” he told the NZZ am Sonntag weekly.
The long tradition of neutrality has been hotly debated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While the wealthy Alpine country, which is not a member of the European Union, has followed the bloc’s lead on sanctions targeting Moscow, it has so far shown less flexibility on its military neutrality.
Despite pressure from Kiev and its allies, Switzerland continues to block countries that prevent them from re-exporting Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine.
To date, requests from Germany, Spain and Denmark have been rejected under the War Materials Act, which prevents all re-exports when the recipient country is in an international armed conflict.
Berset told NZZ that the policy was based on a “commitment to peace, to humanitarian law, to mediation where possible”.
Switzerland’s role as the seat of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions, as well as the European headquarters of the United Nations, “is reflected in our laws, including those relating to arms exports”, he said.
The protection of humanitarian and human rights law and the Geneva Conventions “may seem obsolete to some, but it is more important than ever,” he said, warning that “it would be extremely dangerous to throw these fundamental principles overboard now”.
“As far as Switzerland is concerned, war is not part of the DNA,” Bereset said, with his country aiming to be present “wherever we can mediate and contribute to peace”.
He said he believed that talks with Russia were needed to end the war in Ukraine, “the sooner the better”.
And he condemned “war hysteria in some circles” amid calls for Switzerland to abandon neutrality.
This means “there is no indifference” and can make “adjustments”, he said, pointing to the “unprecedented sanctions” Switzerland has imposed on Russia.
Several initiatives are underway in parliament to relax re-export rules to make it possible for Swiss-made weapons to be transferred to Ukraine by third countries.
But Berset insisted the government’s position was clear. It matches my personal position as well. Swiss weapons should not be used in wars.”
The process for a final decision is likely to take months, with debate between parliament and the government, followed by a possible referendum under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)