June 5, 2024
SINGAPORE – Singapore will be attending the peace summit in Switzerland next week that aims to build international support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace proposals.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a Facebook post on June 4 that Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann has been appointed special envoy to attend the summit.
He added: “Switzerland will be hosting a Summit on Peace in Ukraine later this month and invited Singapore to participate.”
On the evening of June 4, PM Wong spoke with Swiss President Viola Amherd and told her that Ms Sim has been appointed Singapore’s representative.
He said: “President Amherd and I also reaffirmed the friendly relations between our countries and underlined the importance of working together to uphold the principles of the UN Charter.”
The summit, which will run from June 15 to June 16 near the Swiss city of Lucerne, intends to show that there is common understanding among most nations on the next steps towards peace in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
Mr Zelensky hopes to return the country’s plight to the diplomatic spotlight after months of global attention on the Gaza war.
On June 2, the Ukrainian President called on leaders gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to personally participate in the Ukraine-backed peace conference.
While in Singapore, Mr Zelensky met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Wong. The two countries also signed an agreement to strengthen air links during the working visit.
To date, Kyiv has sent invitations to some 160 capitals and organisations around the world. Of these, at least 107 have confirmed their participation.
China, despite heavy lobbying from Mr Zelensky, said it will not attend the conference as Russia did not endorse the meeting, one of the criteria that Beijing set for its participation in a peace conference.
Meanwhile, the United States, Ukraine’s main ally, will be represented by Vice-President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, although Mr Zelensky had been pushing for President Joe Biden’s attendance.
In Mr Zelensky’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, he outlined the summit’s three priorities – nuclear security, food security, and the return of Ukrainian children alleged to have been moved to Russia from occupied territory.
These priorities are part of his 10-point plan for peace, which also calls for the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.