Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena Ibarra heads a Mexican delegation to the Swiss Summit on Peace in Ukraine

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena Ibarra heads a Mexican delegation to the Swiss Summit on Peace in Ukraine

• The summit was held to find a pathway to a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Mexico calls for an end to the arms race and an international commitment to a ceasefire and peace negotiations.
• A total of 92 countries attended the summit in Switzerland.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena Ibarra headed the Mexican delegation to the Summit on Peace in Ukraine held in Nidwalden, Switzerland on June 15-16 and hosted by President Viola Amherd and Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis.

This is the first high-level international conference held to chart a path toward a comprehensive, lasting and peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Foreign Secretary Bárcena reiterated Mexico's commitment to peace, dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the world's major conflicts, saying that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador firmly condemned the war in September 2022, since the solution does not lie in more war, but in more peace.

"Mexico is here to reiterate its longstanding commitment to all the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and its respect for international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are against violent invasions and aggressions, including of diplomatic premises," said the secretary.

During the summit's closing session, Secretary Bárcena said that the conflict is a security threat not only for Europe, but for the entire global community, given the escalation and increased use of weapons and military equipment at the cost of the suffering of the civilian population, particularly women and children.

In her remarks, the foreign secretary said that Mexico has fought for nuclear disarmament and security, citing the Treaty of Tlatelolco. She expressed Mexico's concern for nuclear security and for the threats that have arisen during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and made an urgent call to preserve the integrity of Ukraine's nuclear power plants.

She mentioned two indispensable conditions: the involvement of both parties in the negotiations and the legitimization of any effort under the umbrella of the United Nations.

"We support four things: first, we must devote diplomatic efforts to bringing the Russian Federation into this discussion. Second, we must bring the peace process under the umbrella of the United Nations. Third, gradual negotiated agreements and measures to build confidence and, fourth, Mexico is closely following the work of the International Criminal Court, which is in charge of investigating the Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure," she said.

Finally, Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena mentioned other humanitarian tragedies such as the one occurring in Gaza, calling for a review of international law and the United Nations Charter in each case.