BURGENSTOCK /Switzerland/, June 15. /TASS/. The process towards peace in Ukraine needs Russia to be involved, Swiss President Viola Amherd said opening the conference in Burgenstock.
"We are well aware that a peace process without Russia is inconceivable. A lasting solution must involve both parties," she said. "We want to discuss how and under what conditions Russia can be included in this process."
Amherd said that in Burgenstock, they "will be making that first crucial step. It is up to us to make sure it is followed by a second."
Switzerland is hosting a conference on Ukraine in the resort town of Burgenstock on June 15-16. Bern has invited more than 160 delegations, including from the G7, G20 and BRICS countries. However, the organizers announced ahead of the gathering that the delegations were not sent by all of them, as 91 countries, the Serbian province of Kosovo and eight international organizations are attending. Fifty-five countries have fielded their heads of state or government to take part. The collective West’s countries outnumber the others in Burgenstock, which leaves little hope for a balanced discussion.
Russia is not among those invited to this gathering. Most countries that are UN members have not sent their delegations. For example, China is not on the list of participants, whereas Brazil attends it as an observer. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Egypt, Iran, China, Cuba, Egypt, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Syria, Ethiopia, and many other countries have not come.
The conference will address three issues, namely humanitarian issues, nuclear and food security. On June 14, the Swiss government specified that the countries can share their views on the prisoner exchange, the release of civilians and the repatriation of children. A joint statement is expected at the end of the forum.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry’s senior staff that it was impossible to find a peace solution to the Ukraine conflict without Russia’s participation and a frank dialogue. According to the Russian leader, it is obvious even now that the "truly fundamental issues" that underlie the current crisis of international security and stability as well as the real roots of the Ukraine conflict "are not going to be discussed in Switzerland, despite all the attempts to make the agenda of the conference more or less decent.".