By Timo Kirez
GENEVA (AA) – The Swiss federal government announced Wednesday that Bern is joining the register for war damage in Ukraine.
Switzerland is thus participating in the database launched by the Council of Europe in May for evidence and information on damage caused by Russia's war in Ukraine.
The accession underscores Switzerland's support for the people affected by the war and for Ukraine's political reconstruction process, the federal government said in a press release.
Thirty-seven members of the Council of Europe have joined the damage registry so far, along with Canada, the US, Japan, and the EU. The damage registry is intended to collect information as well as evidence on damage, losses, and injuries suffered by individuals, entities, or the Ukrainian state as a result of Russian attacks since the war started on Feb. 24, 2022.
The registry is intended to serve as a basis for subsequent court cases and possible reparations paid by Russia to Ukraine. The registry is initially intended to last for three years and is to be based in The Hague, the Netherlands.