As stated by a member of the Federal Council, Switzerland’s Minister of Defence Martin Pfister, during his speech at Swiss Defence Industry Day in Brussels, Ukrinform reports.
Switzerland plans to deepen and expand its partnership with NATO, particularly by concluding a new Individual Partnership Programme. This position was stated by Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister during his remarks at the Swiss Defence Industry Day in Brussels.
“Switzerland has a long-standing and comprehensive partnership with NATO. It has participated in the Partnership for Peace program since 1996 and actively contributes to NATO peacekeeping missions such as KFOR. In addition, we actively cooperate with NATO in the areas of training, capability development, defense procurement, as well as research, development, and innovation. Such cooperation is critically important for Switzerland to ensure the interoperability of its armed forces with those of neighboring states and other Western partners. Therefore Switzerland aims to deepen and broaden this cooperation, as reflected in the new Individual Partnership Programme, which Switzerland will sign with NATO soon”
– Minister of Defense of Switzerland
Deepening defense cooperation with the EU
According to Pfister, there is also growing attention to expanding defense cooperation with the European Union and its institutions.
“Switzerland has a long and fruitful cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA), where we, in particular, contribute to projects in the field of research and technology. We also seek further expansion of this cooperation. In fact, the Swiss government approved an updated administrative agreement with the EDA last month, and we are about to sign it today”
– Minister of Defense of Switzerland
In addition, Switzerland participates in two EU defense initiative projects under PESCO, and has joined a number of civilian and military missions within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.
“Ultimately, we support close bilateral cooperation with many EU member states, notably with our neighbors – Germany, France, Italy, and Austria – and we participate in multinational projects such as the European initiative “Sky Shield.” Given this established and close cooperation, Switzerland naturally follows current initiatives to raise Europe’s defense readiness with great interest”
– Minister of Defense of Switzerland
In June, the Swiss government decided to begin preliminary negotiations with the EU on a Partnership in the field of security and defense. Pfister stressed that Switzerland is eager to be among the partners in this area, as the country has much to share, especially at the industrial level.
The head of the defense ministry stressed that Europe’s security is currently under heightened risk, and Russia’s war against Ukraine has become a turning point that shattered the illusion of lasting peace in Europe. Hybrid threats – espionage, cyberattacks, and influence operations – are already affecting the country, and in the future their scale may increase. According to Pfister, the decision on escalation depends on the collective will to confront these challenges.
He also noted that Europe must strengthen readiness for defense and invest in its own security – Switzerland also regards this issue as a priority direction.
As the head of the defense ministry summed up, the continent’s security and robust defense capabilities remain key for Switzerland and its partners, and the country has the potential to make a significant contribution to global defense cooperation.