GENEVA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers of Switzerland, Austria and Germany have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on their participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), the Swiss Federal Council said in a statement issued on Friday.
Viola Amherd, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, held meetings with Defense Ministers Klaudia Tanner of Austria and Boris Pistorius of Germany in Bern on July 6-7, focusing on the security situation in Europe, the effects of the conflict in Ukraine, trilateral cooperation and military peacebuilding.
The ESSI is a German initiative for ground-based air defense (GBAD) in Europe. It was launched in August 2022 and addresses the need to strengthen air defense in Europe and better focus efforts in the area.
According to the Swiss Federal Council, each country controls the extent of its participation. As part of this MoU, Switzerland will now examine the areas where it will strengthen cooperation, e.g. to improve synergies in the Patriot GBAD system through the exchange of information or cooperation in operations and training.
Switzerland and Austria have set out their terms regarding neutrality in an additional declaration, stating, for example, that they will not participate or be involved in international military conflicts.
With the signing of the MoU, Switzerland and Austria are joining the 17 European states already participating in the ESSI, said the statement. ■
