Switzerland continues to help Ukraine despite crisis - ambassador

"At the beginning of 2020, Switzerland's Federal Council approved a new international cooperation strategy for 2021-2024, which provides for a new program for cooperation with Ukraine for 2020-2023. This program envisages 24 projects to implement reforms in Ukraine and to overcome the crisis in the east of our country," the ambassador said.

In March 2020, despite the pandemic, Switzerland declared its readiness to send the 12th humanitarian cargo to the needs of 11 hospitals in eastern Ukraine worth more than 1.5 million Swiss francs. Through the Swiss Cooperation Office in Kyiv, the Government of Ukraine will also receive support worth 200,000 Swiss francs for the fight against the coronavirus.

According to the diplomat, Switzerland is, in fact, the only state providing humanitarian assistance on both sides of the contact line in eastern Ukraine. Until the end of 2019, Switzerland's humanitarian aid projects for eastern Ukraine were implemented in accordance with the strategy of Swiss cooperation with Ukraine for 2015-2019. As part of the cooperation, about 125 million Swiss francs were allocated, and 11 humanitarian cargoes were sent to Ukraine.

Technical assistance projects focus on such priority areas as promoting local governance, improving health, infrastructure and energy efficiency, and sustainable economic development.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is responsible for Swiss humanitarian aid projects for eastern Ukraine in the field of water supply and health care.

Assistance is provided through international organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as bilaterally.

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