On Monday, 2 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha welcomed the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation, Head of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis, who paid his first visit to Ukraine as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, as well as OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu.

The parties discussed the dynamics of peace efforts, results and expectations of the meetings in Abu Dhabi as well as the situation on the battlefield.

“This is a highly important visit by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis - his first visit as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. It is a visit of solidarity. We must be prepared for the post-wat period in international organisations as well. This is one of the topics we are discussing today”, said Andrii Sybiha.

The Minister informed the OSCE leadership about Russia’s war crimes, strikes against civilians and attacks on energy infrastructure that left people without electricity, heating and water supply in freezing conditions.

The Foreign Minister confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to develop cooperation with the OSCE, promote joint priorities during the Swiss Chairpersonship and underlined the importance of the humanitarian dimension of interaction and cooperation in bringing those responsible to justice.

Andrii Sybiha called on the OSCE leaders to continue demanding that Russia releases three civilian hostages, OSCE employees who have been held in Russian captivity for almost four years – Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.

The interlocutors separately discussed the OSCE’s role, particularly in the post-war period, and in promoting lasting peace for Ukraine and ensuring stability in the region, as well as the shared responsibility for safeguarding the Helsinki Final Act.

During the meeting Andrii Sybiha and Ignazio Cassis have also discussed a range of issues related to Ukrainian-Swiss bilateral cooperation. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine expressed his gratitude to Switzerland for its systematic humanitarian aid to Ukraine, notably for its support for Ukraine’s energy sector and consistent support for EU sanctions against Russia.