“I have decided to pay an official visit to Ukraine during my term of office and attend the independence celebrations in person – that says more than a thousand words about my sympathies for this country”, explained Andreas Aebi shortly before his departure. The National Council president will travel with a parliamentary delegation to Kyiv, Vinnitsa and Donbas between 22 and 25 August. This is a reciprocal visit following Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Dimitri Razumkov’s visit to Switzerland last March.
The two parliamentary speakers will discuss a range of issues including the state of reforms in Ukraine, efforts to manage the COVID crisis, Switzerland’s long-term commitment to the peace process, and humanitarian support for the local population in eastern Ukraine. Mr Aebi will represent President Guy Parmelin at the first Crimea Platform summit on 23 August and sign a memorandum of understanding between all participating states. The memorandum sets out possible courses of action to regain Ukraine's full control of Crimea. Switzerland condemned Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a violation of international law. It therefore supports the Ukrainian initiative to put Crimea more firmly on the international agenda.
Andreas Aebi will join President Volodymyr Zelensky in celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
Official meeting in Kazakhstan
Following the visit to Ukraine, the parliamentary delegation will travel on to Kazakhstan between 25 and 27 August. Meetings are planned with the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as well as with Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and parliamentary speakers Nurlan Nigmatullin and Mäulen Äşimbaev.
Kazakhstan is an important partner for Switzerland, both on a bilateral and multilateral level. The two countries work closely in the same constituency of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Trade and economic relations have also developed strongly in recent years. Switzerland is Kazakhstan's third largest investor; over 40 Swiss companies are represented in Kazakhstan.
Accompanying National Council president Andreas Aebi on the visit are first vice president of the National Council, Irène Kälin (Greens/AG), second vice president, Martin Candinas (The Centre/GR), parliamentary group presidents Roger Nordmann (SP/VD) and Beat Walti (FDP/ZH), as well as National Council members Roland Fischer (GLP/LU) and Roland Rino Büchel (SVP/SG).