Ukraine peace summit ends with final declaration

BURGENSTOCK, Switzerland

The two-day Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland’s Burgenstock ended on Sunday with an endorsement of a final declaration.

More than 90 countries attended the talks, but the joint communique was supported by 80 countries and four organizations.

As many as 16 states and organizations, including Indonesia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, India, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, abstained.

In her closing remarks to the plenary session, Swiss President Viola Amherd said that despite different views, they have “managed to agree on a common vision.”

“We have set out that vision in the Burgenstock Communique,” Amherd said. “Herewith we are sending a clear signal to the people of Ukraine and to all those directly affected by the consequences of the war: A large part of the international community has the desire to bring about change.”

She said that with the final declaration, states have established a framework around which further discussions should take place.

Amherd mentioned three topics that states will work towards: “Firstly, any use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safeguarded, and environmentally sound.”

“Secondly, food security must not be weaponized in any way. Attacks on merchant ships in ports and along the entire route, as well as against civilian ports and civilian port infrastructure, are unacceptable,” she said.

“Thirdly, 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.”

‘Peace requires involvement of and dialogue between all parties’

In the joint declaration, countries who supported said that they had a “fruitful, comprehensive, and constructive exchange of various views on pathways towards a framework for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, based on international law, including the United Nations Charter.”

“In particular, we reaffirm our commitment to refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders, including territorial waters, and the resolution of disputes through peaceful means as principles of international law,” it read.

However, they underlined that reaching peace “requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties.”

They also agreed on a common vision on issues, including the use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations, global food security, and war prisoners.

“The use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safe-guarded, and environmentally sound. Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine and in line with IAEA principles and under its supervision,” the declaration said.

On global security, it stressed that global food security depends on uninterrupted manufacturing and supply of food products.

“In this regard, free, full, and safe commercial navigation, as well as access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas, are critical,” it said. “Attacks on merchant ships in ports and along the entire route, as well as against civilian ports and civilian port infrastructure, are unacceptable.”

Food security “must not be weaponized in any way,” it added.

And lastly, according to the declaration, prisoners of war “must be released by the complete exchange.”

“All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine,” it added.

The gathering aimed at finding a “common understanding” on a path toward peace, but was not attended by Russia and China.

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