Today, Friday, Switzerland signed a declaration of intent with Germany and Austria to participate in an initiative within the framework of the continental surface-to-air defense “European Sky Shields” (ESSI).

The declaration was signed in Bern by the head of the Ministry of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Viola Amherd, and Boris Pistorius and Claudia Tanner, the Berlin and Vienna ministers. The three also signed an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of research in the arms sector.

TG 12:30 on Fri 07.07.2023

The ESSI initiative concerns the joint purchase of a European anti-missile shield. Against the background of the conflict in Ukraine, this system, propagated at Germany’s instigation, should help fill defensive gaps in the skies.

Each country determines where and how much to participate, DDPS emphasizes in a note. In order to exclude involvement in military conflicts, for example, Switzerland and Austria set out their legal reservations about neutrality in an additional declaration.