Switzerland signs declaration to join European Sky Shield Initiative

The head of armasuisse, Urs Loher, signed the memorandum of understanding and the declaration of Switzerland's unilateral accession on Thursday. The Swiss government had decided to join European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) last April. The Foreign Policy and Security Policy Committees approved the decision. Lohrer signed the membership application and a supplementary declaration on reservations relating to the law of neutrality at the beginning of July. The latter allows Switzerland to withdraw from cooperation on the grounds of neutrality if a member of the initiative becomes involved in an international armed conflict. The member states of the initiative have given their agreement, armasuisse announced on Friday. Joining ESSI will enable Switzerland to better coordinate procurement projects, training and logistics in the field of ground-air defense, armasuisse's CEO said in a media interview on Friday. Purchasing costs will be reduced, as will delivery times, said Loher.