Switzerland to host Ukraine Reform Conference 2022

Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, said this at the 4th Ukraine Reform Conference in Vilnius on July 8, an Ukrinform correspondent reports

“I am pleased to announce that the 5th Ukraine Reform Conference will take place on July 4-5 next year in the city of Lugano ... The official start of the preparatory process for it will begin in October with my visit to Kyiv,” he said.

Mr Cassis outlined Switzerland's priorities for the Ukraine Reform Conference in Lugano. Switzerland will strive in particular for a positive, stakeholder-inclusive approach that encourages ownership of the reform efforts still under way. “This jointly-devised concept was discussed in further detail with President Zelensky, Prime Minister Shmyhal and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba and will be finalised in the coming months. Other topics included upcoming bilateral meetings and the situation in eastern Ukraine,” he noted.

“We all know that a national government alone cannot succeed, it is important to involve regional authorities, local governments, the private sector, citizens of Ukraine, and the scientific community. We need to hear all voices and make the 2022 Conference truly inclusive,” the Federal Councillor added.

As reported, the 4th Ukraine Reform Conference was held at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius (Lithuania) on July 7-8. The Conference was launched in London in 2017 as a format for uniting the efforts of partners and friends of Ukraine. The participants in the forum discuss the situation in the country and assess democratic transformations and reforms that have been conducted since 2014. The conference was then convened in Copenhagen in 2018 and in Toronto in 2019.

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