Swiss parliament calls on government to increase mine clearance efforts in Ukraine

Both houses of the Swiss parliament have supported a motion by the Social Democratic Party which enshrines Switzerland's commitment to facilitate mine clearance in Ukraine. Source: European Pravda; Swissinfo Details: The motion put forward by the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland calls on the Department of Defence to develop an international mine action programme in cooperation with organisations working in war zones. 

The motion also calls on the Swiss Federal Council to provide "significant financial and personnel support" to the programme. 

The Federal Council agreed with this proposal, noting that Switzerland is already actively involved in the demining of Ukraine through humanitarian aid, equipment financing, and training courses organised by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GIHCD).  The Social Democrats' motion was approved by the lower house of the Swiss parliament on Monday, 4 March.  The relevant committee of the upper house has now voted in favour of the motion, adding a clause on priority financing for Swiss companies working in the field of mine clearance.

The lower house, the National Council, must now make an additional decision on this motion.  Switzerland approved a four-year aid package of CHF 100 million (approx. EUR103.5 million) last year.

In October of this year, it plans to organise a conference on humanitarian mine clearance in Ukraine.

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