Swiss Peace Summit: Key Outcomes and India's Stand on the Russia-Ukraine War

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is Swiss Peace Summit?
• Key outcome of Swiss Peace Summit
• India’s stand at the summit

Why in News?

The two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland concluded recently with hopes for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Out of the 100 attending delegations, 80 countries and four organizations supported the final joint communiqué from the Path To Peace Summit, which focused on finding ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war that has been ongoing since February 2022.

What is Swiss Peace Summit?

• About
  • The Swiss Peace Summit, also known as the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, is an international conference aimed at addressing and finding solutions to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 
  • Held at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, this summit gathers representatives from various countries and organizations to discuss and promote peace initiatives.
• Objective
  • The primary goal of the Swiss Peace Summit is to facilitate dialogue and negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
• Participants
  • The summit brings together a wide range of participants, including representatives from numerous countries, international organizations, and peace advocacy groups. 
  • In the recently held summit, 80 countries and four organizations supported the final joint communiqué.

Key outcome of Swiss Peace Summit

• Joint Communiqué: 
  • A final joint communiqué was issued, supported by 80 countries and four organizations out of the 100 attending delegations. 
  • This document outlines the collective consensus and recommendations for achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine.
• Territorial integrity of Ukraine should be respected
  • According to the communique, the territorial integrity of Ukraine should be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s war.
• Important themes featured in the final statement
  • The three themes of nuclear safety, food security and prisoner exchanges featured in the final statement.
  • It said that:
    • Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine is inadmissible; 
    • Food security must not be weaponized in any way. 
    • Ukrainian agricultural products should be securely and freely provided to interested third countries
  • It emphasized that:
    • All prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange;
    • All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine.
• Commitment to Peace
  • Participants expressed a strong commitment to ending the war, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
• Humanitarian Aid
  • The summit underscored the importance of providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict, including displaced persons and civilians in war-torn areas.
• International Cooperation
  • The summit facilitated international cooperation and solidarity, with countries and organizations pledging to work together to promote peace and stability in the region.

India’s stand at the summit

• India attended the summit
  • India had joined the summit to explore the way forward to a negotiated settlement of a very complex and pressing issue.
  • India was represented by the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
    • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the summit.
    • However, India, which has strategic ties with Moscow and a strong dependence on Russia for defence supplies, decided to send a Secretary-level official for the summit.
    • Ever since the war began, India has also been buying Russian oil at discounted prices to cushion the inflationary impact of rising oil prices.
• Decided not to sign the joint communique
  • India decided to not sign the joint communique by saying that only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace.
  • It underlined that enduring peace can be achieved only through dialogue and diplomacy. 
• Reasons behind the Indian position of not becoming a signatory to the joint communique
  • Russia - one of the two warring parties —declined to attend the summit in Burgenstock in central Switzerland.
  • With Russia not attending the Swiss summit on peace in Ukraine, there can not be a lasting peace on this issue.
• Other countries which did not sign the final communique
  • Besides India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and UAE were among countries participating at the summit on peace for Ukraine but did not sign a final communique.
  • Brazil, which was listed as an observer on the list of attendees, also did not feature as a signatory.

Q.1. What is the geographical location of Switzerland?

Switzerland is a landlocked country situated in Central Europe. It is known for its mountainous terrain, including the Alps in the south and the Jura in the northwest. 

Q.2. What are the reasons behind Russia-Ukraine war?

The Russia-Ukraine war is primarily due to geopolitical tensions, territorial disputes, Ukraine's pivot towards the West, and Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

Source: 80 countries at Swiss conference agree territorial integrity of Ukraine must be basis of any peace | Indian Express | The Hindu