Switzerland will host an international conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction on July 4-5, with organizers refusing a postponement to show support for the Russian-invaded country.
The Government of Switzerland co-organizes the meeting with the Government of Ukrainethe first since the beginning of the war and in which representatives of the private sector will have the opportunity to directly contact the kyiv authorities about their involvement in the reconstruction of the economy.
At a press conference, the president of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis, acknowledged that the possibility of postponing the meeting was admitted, but concluded that “it could have been a mistake” and that “it could have sent the wrong message.”
Cassis said that he discussed this issue with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and both agreed to adapt the program in the face of the intensification of the Russian military offensive..
The Swiss head of state also stated that the holding of this conference is a sign that the other countries involved, international organizations and businessmen consider “that Ukraine has a future as an independent and sovereign nation”.
Cassis also needed to be agreed that the reconstruction process in Ukraine should “be accompanied by a reform, something important for everyone and an opportunity to take a giant step and transform.”
This process is expected to take several years and, predictably, more than a decade.when compared to the reconstruction plans after various wars that took place in the past.
“We hoped that this war would not be so long, but we have to start thinking. Transparency is essential because we are talking about a lot of money, billions, and in these cases the greatest threat is the risk of mismanagement”, added the president of the Swiss confederation.
The conference will be developed around four central axes: social, economic, environmental and infrastructure reconstruction.
Among the delegations present are European countries, the United States and Canada, which have already confirmed their presence, as well as other countries and international organizations such as the World Bank, whose financing will be decisive.
The organizers planned a parallel cultural program in Lugano, a city in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland where the conference will take place, with concerts of classical, jazz and youth music, in which Ukrainian musicians will be the protagonists.
These activities aim to bring Ukrainian culture closer to the conference participants (a thousand people are expected to attend) and to the inhabitants of the city.
Source: Observadora
