The Swiss Confederation has announced a significant increase in financial support for Ukraine's recovery, doubling the amount from 50 to 100 million Swiss francs.
This information was confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy.
Financial assistance from Switzerland for Ukraine's reconstruction
The agreement was signed by Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Julia Svyrydenko and Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine Jacques Gerber.
This decision was made due to the high interest of Swiss companies already operating in Ukraine, which can potentially assist in the recovery.
Julia Svyrydenko emphasized that the additional 50 million francs will be allocated to:
- civil population protection
- infrastructure restoration
- development of municipal services
- improvement of public services
She also expressed particular interest in cooperation in energy, transportation, housing construction, water supply, healthcare, industrial engineering, and education.
Ambassador Jacques Gerber noted that Swiss companies continue their operations in Ukraine, providing jobs and paying taxes despite existing challenges.
The allocated 100 million francs are part of a broader support program for Ukraine from Switzerland, with a total of 1.5 billion francs planned for the period of 2025–2028.
In the long term, Switzerland intends to invest 5 billion francs in a 12-year support program for Ukraine.
On March 19, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs decided to double the funding for reconstruction projects in Ukraine to 100 million Swiss francs.
Switzerland supported the lifting of the ban on re-exporting weapons to Ukraine
Swiss President Viola Amherd stated her support for lifting the existing ban on the transfer of Swiss-made weapons from other countries to Ukraine.
According to her, the difficulties faced by the defense industry pose a threat to national security.
The President emphasized that Switzerland does not plan to carry out direct arms supplies to countries involved in military conflicts. However, despite its traditional neutrality, Switzerland became one of the 14 largest arms exporters in the world in 2022.