Swiss President Ignacio Cassis, who is visiting Japan, said today that his country had joined tough sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but that did not mean that it had renounced its traditional neutrality.
According to a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, during talks in Tokyo, Cassis and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed that Russia should be held accountable for attacks on civilians in Ukraine. In a statement at the opening of the meeting, Kisida said that Russia’s actions undermine the foundations of the international order not only in Europe but also in Asia. “Now more than ever, the international community needs to be united,” the ministry said in a statement.
At a separate press conference, Cassis, who is also Switzerland’s foreign minister, said his country strongly condemned the war and called on Russia to end the invasion immediately. He noted that Switzerland, although not a member of the EU, fully supports European sanctions against Russia, including the fifth package adopted last week. However, this does not mean that the confederation has renounced its traditional neutrality, said Cassis, quoted by BTA.