Neutral Switzerland will join the EU military mobility project!
Switzerland will join the EU's military mobility project, which aims to ensure the rapid and smooth movement of military personnel, equipment and assets, after member states agreed on Monday evening to send the country an official invitation.
The neutral country's Federal Council decided last August that Switzerland would participate in the EU initiative to cut red tape when mobilizing armies through or between EU member states, whether by rail, road, air or sea - but member states still had to give final approval for the Netherlands, the project's coordinator, to send the official letter of invitation.
"Switzerland's participation in the project is in line with the principle of neutrality, as it does not involve any legal or de facto commitment to collective defense," said the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
Other non-EU countries, such as the United States, Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom, are also part of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project, which is designed to deepen defense cooperation between member states (except neutral Malta, which does not participate in PESCO) and NATO partners.
The EU Military Mobility Initiative acts as a Schengen for armed forces. It enables member states' troops to respond more quickly and effectively to crises at the bloc's external borders or beyond, both for EU operations and for deployments in other multilateral settings such as NATO, including at short notice and on a large scale.
The Military Mobility Action Plan (2022-26) also aims to strengthen the readiness and resilience of transport infrastructure such as railways, roads, waterways and airports used for civil and military purposes.
Following the invitation from the member states, Switzerland now only needs to conclude an administrative agreement to become a formal member. The modalities of cooperation will be defined in a non-binding administrative agreement.
The country also aims to join the Cyber Range Federation project, coordinated by Estonia since 2021, to improve the quality of training for the Swiss Armed Forces and deepen their interoperability.
"The two projects - the Cyber Range Federation and Military Mobility - offer the opportunity to expand international cooperation between armed forces and thus strengthen Switzerland's national defense capabilities and contribution to European security," the DDPS said.
At the moment, Switzerland does not intend to participate in other PESCO projects, but the possibility remains for the future.
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