On Monday 9 March, the president of the National Council, Isabelle Moret, received the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Razumkov, on an official visit to Switzerland. The last meeting between the presidents of the two parliaments took place in
2016, during the official visit of the former president of the National Council, Christa Markwalder (FDP/BE), to Kiev at the invitation of her Ukrainian counterpart.
Mr Razumkov and his delegation were later received by the president of the Council of States, Hans Stöckli (PS/BE) and the second vice president of the National Council, Irène Kälin (Verdi/AG). This is the first official interparliamentary meeting between the two countries since the parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2019. Besides discussing the recent elections in Ukraine, the two delegations talked about the current political situation in Ukraine and the state of bilateral relations with Switzerland. They also took the opportunity to exchange views on the state of reform processes and the prospects for economic development in Ukraine.
Mr Razumkov thanked Switzerland for its support in the areas of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. The Ukrainian delegation also underlined the importance of relations at parliamentary level, and expressed its willingness to intensify and develop exchanges with the Swiss Parliament.
The programme for Mr Razumkov’s visit included a courtesy visit to the Swiss president, Simonetta Sommaruga.
Switzerland and Ukraine established diplomatic relations after Ukraine’s proclamation of independence in December 1991. This was followed immediately by the opening of a Swiss embassy in Ukraine and a Ukrainian embassy in Switzerland. Switzerland’s policy on Ukraine covers various areas, but focuses in particular on two priorities: support for the reform process and the search for a peaceful solution to the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. The two countries constantly exchange information in an ongoing discussion on how to promote stability and prosperity in Ukraine through technical cooperation, peace policy, economic collaboration and humanitarian aid.
Information
Claudio Fischer
Ambassador, Head of International Affairs
Parliamentary Services
058 322 97 26 / 079 277 55 67