Signing ceremony of the Framework Participation Agreement (FPA) to EU missions and operations: Press statements by High Representative Kaja Kallas

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Dear Councillor Cassis, dear Ignazio. It is a pleasure to be here in Zurich, especially during the week that marks real progress in EU- Swiss cooperation. On Monday, like you mentioned, EU and Switzerland signed a series of new agreements covering trade, health, research and transport, and just now, we signed the Joint Declaration and the Framework Agreement, and this evening, we will hold a first political dialogue to really discuss about issues that are a lot in the world is going on. So, it is fair to say that in one week, we delivered more progress in our partnership that we have seen over many years. 

EU and Switzerland are long standing partners. Your contributions to EU operations in the Western Balkans and Africa are immensely important. Switzerland's decision to deploy more troops to EU’s peace mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrates your commitment to regional stability. Closer to home, our cooperation on military mobility, cyber defence is moving forward. I also see potential for us to do more together countering hybrid attacks. Those who want to harm our democracies are not standing still. Neutrality is no obstacle to closer cooperation. 

That is also why the Swiss Parliament’s decision to ease arms export rules is a step in the right direction. This will support both Swiss industry and European security and for EU it is important that Swiss experts can also reach all Member States. Today, we also will discuss the war that is going on in Ukraine, but also what is going on in the Middle East. Now, I want to thank Switzerland for standing with Ukraine, for providing crucial humanitarian and development aid, as well as energy support, and you are saving lives by this. 

We all want this war to end as fast as possible, and Geneva is an important venue for peace talks, but the dark reality is that Russia does not want peace. Moscow has answered every diplomatic push with missiles. That is why it is also important to support Ukraine and also pressure Russia. We must move forward with the €90 billion loan to Ukraine and also with our next sanctions package. And sanctions weaken Russia's ability to finance this war. And I also thank Switzerland for aligning with us. 

Finally, on the Middle East. Iran is an exporter of war, and right now, the regime tries to seek and drag as many countries into this war as possible. But Iran is fighting alone, and its military capabilities are not indefinite. 

No one knows what the future holds for Iran. Usually, regimes crumble from the inside, not the outside. Tehran has been considerably weakened, and there is a chance for the Iranian people to determine their own future. On the diplomatic track, European Union and Gulf Foreign Ministers met today to discuss what we can do together to break the cycle of escalation and also boost regional defences. And these discussions will, of course, continue.   

Thank you very much. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-286174  


Q&A

Q. I am doing a film in Russia about the future of Russia, different scenarios you mentioned Russia. Which scenario is for you the most possible? And how do you prepare for it? And I used to be a  correspondent in Moscow. I remember Swiss diplomats coming to Moscow and always saying we have to give something to Russia. Now you were talking about pressure, about arming Ukraine etc., about sanctions. Are you ready to offer something to Russia and what would it be? Thank you.

In the last 100 years, Russia has attacked at least 19 countries. I am not counting those in Africa. So, 19 countries, some as many as three or four times, none of these countries has ever attacked Russia. So, in order to stop this cycle of wars, we really need to see what Russia is willing to concede. They have very good negotiation tactics, which they have been very clear about. First, you demand something that has never been yours, and you demand, you require. Then you present ultimatums, use force, and then there will always be people in the West who will offer you something you did not have before. And this is exactly the trap that we are walking into if we are considering what we are offering to Russia. In this war, there is one aggressor and one victim. If we offer something to Russia, actually, we are appeasing the dictator, and the appetite just grows and we will have more wars. We have done that before. We have seen the Minsk Agreements doing exactly that, and that s why, if we want to break the cycle of wars, we have to do it differently this time. There was one historian who said that in order for a country to become better, it has to lose its last colonial war, and Russia is conducting its colonial war right now, let us make sure that is its last.
 

Q. You mentioned Iran's attempts to escalate the war. It tried to attack, apparently, Cyprus - military bases in Cyprus - and possibly Türkiye. First of all, do you think Iran is trying to involve NATO or Europe in this conflict? If so, does the EU prepare or have strategies to not get involved, or get involved?

Iran is indiscriminately attacking countries around. Today, we had also a meeting with the Gulf countries who have been attacked and who have not done anything to attack Iran. Many of them have been supporting the diplomatic track and convincing other countries not to attack them. So, what they are trying to do is to sow chaos as much as possible, and this is what we are seeing right now. Now, when it comes to NATO members, of course, it is up to NATO members to say whether it is Article 4 situation or Article 5 situation, whether they need help. So far, we have not seen that. And when it comes to members of the European Union, we also have Article 42(7) that is giving the right for a Member State to also call others for help. So far, this has also not been triggered or not necessary. For us, it is very important that we try to do everything to really take the tension down that it does not go any further, because the region does not need another war.
 

Q. If Switzerland wanted to contribute to Europe's security architecture. What will be a fair contribution in your eyes and what would  be the best contribution?

Switzerland is already contributing to European security architecture, if you think about participation in the operations in the Western Balkans to keep the peace in that region.  We are all very grateful for that, so tensions do not get out of hand. And of course, it is up to Switzerland to decide how they want to participate in future operations - civilian missions or military missions - to keep the stability of Europe, which is in our interest that we have this peaceful region. Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-286175