GENEVA, April 24. /TASS/. A peace process in Ukraine is impossible without Russia, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told reporters ahead of a meeting with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg in Bern.
"Russia needs to join [efforts to find a peaceful solution]," he said, as cited by the RTS broadcaster.
However, Cassis declined to comment on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent statement that Switzerland had turned from a neutral country "into an openly hostile one." Still, Cassis reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to neutrality. "It’s about military neutrality. We aren’t sending weapons or troops to Ukraine. However, it's not about neutrality of values," he explained.
According to the RTS, preparations for a Swiss-hosted conference on Ukraine are well underway. Invitations have not been sent out yet as some details are yet to be finalized. "Dialogue with India and China and the countries of the Global South is very important," Cassis said in this regard.
Cassis announced at a press conference on April 10 that Russia would not take part in the conference. Meanwhile, he noted that "no peace process can take place without Russia, even if it’s absent from the first meeting." According to the RTS, the event will take place in Burgenstock, central Switzerland, on June 15-16. However, Swiss officials have not announced any dates yet.