Swiss conference calls for ensuring Ukraine's territorial integrity, launching dialogue between all parties - final statement
BRUSSELS. June 17 (Interfax) - The Swiss conference on the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis adopted a final statement on Sunday, which contains its participants' commitment to ensuring "the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders."
At the same time, the document, which was quoted by Western media, noted that "reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties."
The document also calls for ensuring food and nuclear security and securing access to the ports on the Black and Azov Seas in order to maintain food supplies to the global markets. The statement's authors also deem it essential for Ukraine to regain control of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.
The statement also calls for a full exchange of prisoners and the return home of all Ukrainian children.
The statement was backed by 80 conference participants out of approximately 100 delegations of various countries and international organizations. In particular, the document was not signed by India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico, the media reported.
The two-day conference on the settlement of the Ukraine conflict took place in the Swiss city of Lucerne.
Swiss President Viola Amherd said on June 15 that it would be crucial to involve Russia in the negotiations at a certain stage in order to resolve the Ukraine crisis. The Swiss authorities have repeatedly made it clear that they realize that it is impossible to resolve the conflict if one of the parties is not involved in the process.
In March, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia is not going to take part in the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland. "This forum will be dedicated to promoting the Zelensky formula of ultimatum, although its Swiss organizers pretend that they are looking for a common denominator of peace initiatives of different countries," she said, when clarifying the reasons behind the decision.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Foreign Ministry officials that Russia stands ready to stop hostilities and begin talks as soon as Ukraine announces the withdrawal of troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, and its refusal to join NATO. Russia demands Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status, its demilitarization and denazification, Putin said. He noted that the lifting of all anti-Russian sanctions is required. At the same time, Putin said that the current situation on the ground will continue to change not in Kiev's favor, and the conditions for launching talks will be different.
