Switzerland supports the EU’s previous sanctions against Russia and currently has 1,703 people and 421 companies on the country’s corresponding lists, according to data from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. But for reasons of neutrality, they do not want to join an international task force to track down Russian oligarch funds.
In a vote in parliament on Wednesday, 80 MPs were in favor and 101 against. The push for membership was initiated by the Greens.
Switzerland offers its services, among other things, between countries that do not have diplomatic relations, such as Iran and the US. These countries can exchange messages through the Swiss embassy. Such “good offices” could become more difficult through participation in such a task force, said Free Democrats (FDP) MP Hans-Peter Portmann.
The purpose of the task force
A year ago, the Swiss government declined an invitation from the G7 countries to join the working group. Countries such as the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Australia are working together. Their goal is to track down Russian oligarch funds and ensure that economic sanctions are not evaded.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, almost eight billion francs of Russian assets have been frozen. However, many governments suspect that significantly more Russian money is stored there.
Source: Krone
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