The Swiss government has recently appointed a special representative for recovery in Ukraine. This was announced by Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova Felix Baumann in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
"A few weeks ago, we appointed a special representative or delegate of the Swiss government for the recovery in Ukraine. This is a special position, a high-level position. He will start his work in January next year," the ambassador said.
Speaking about the country's efforts to restore Ukraine, the diplomat noted that Switzerland is already involved in many projects and plans to take certain measures to further engage the private sector.
"The first step is to engage those Swiss companies that are already present in Ukraine. They should respond to the urgent needs of the Ukrainian side. We also hope that companies will maintain and perhaps even increase the number of jobs in Ukraine. We support, for example, company projects aimed at technical and vocational training and education," Baumann said.
He stressed that in Switzerland, almost two-thirds of young people study at vocational schools rather than universities.
"And we are also trying to promote this in Ukraine," he said.
At the same time, Baumann acknowledged that war risk insurance remains a problem that needs to be addressed.
"But I am sure that Switzerland has companies in areas that are interesting for Ukraine or for Ukraine's needs. Early next year, we plan to organise a high-level fact-finding mission with the heads of Swiss companies interested in Ukraine's recovery process," Baumann added.
- Switzerland plans to allocate $1.7 billion for reconstruction projects in Ukraine. The funding is to be allocated over 4 years.