SINGAPORE: Russia should cease hostilities and negotiate with Ukraine in good faith, said Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann on Sunday (Jun 16) at the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland.
Ms Sim, who is attending the event as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to seek a peaceful and lasting solution.
Ms Sim told the summit: “Singapore’s presence today underscores our commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter.
“We strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The principles of political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty are of utmost importance to us.
“The invasion of Ukraine violated these principles and posed an existential threat for all countries, including Singapore.
"These principles are vital for the security of all states, irrespective of size, which is why Singapore has unequivocally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We are not taking sides, we are upholding principles.”
She added that the destruction of infrastructure and increasing death toll remains “deeply troubling” as the conflict continues into its third year.
More than 10 million people have been displaced by the war.
The peace summit took place over the weekend. Leaders and top officials from more than 90 states spent the weekend at a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European conflict since World War II.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he hoped to find a route to a "just peace" as soon as possible.
Dozens of countries agreed on Sunday that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Russia on ending the war, while strongly supporting Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.
"We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties," stated a final communique, supported by the vast majority of the countries that attended the summit at the Burgenstock complex overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The declaration also urged a full exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deported children.
But not all attendees backed the document, with India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates among those not included in a list of supporting states displayed on screens at the summit.
Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Sim Ann meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd at the opening ceremony of Ukraine peace summit from Jun 15 to Jun 16, 2024. (Photo: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Singapore remains “gravely concerned” by the potential risks to nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The most recent incident involved a series of drone attacks in April.
“It is very worrying that military activity targeted at and around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has continued to occur,” said Ms Sim.
Singapore is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is currently on the Board of Governors.
“The safety risks faced by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and indeed by all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, underline the urgency of finding a peaceful solution to this conflict,” she said.
Earlier this month, IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi met with Russian officials and said it was unsafe to restart the Russian-held nuclear power plant.
Zaporizhzhia is currently reliant on one of its four main power lines and a backup line for external power.
Since Russia seized the plant weeks after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the plant has lost all external power eight times, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for power.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Mar 29, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
Ms Sim said that Singapore strongly supports Mr Grossi’s five basic principles for protecting the nuclear plant, including that there should be no attack from or against the plant.
Singapore also supports the agency’s “seven indispensable pillars” for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict. These include maintaining the “physical integrity” of the facilities and ensuring that all safety and security systems are functional at all times.
“Amid the very troubling and potentially dangerous developments at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, there are several immediate priorities to address,” said Ms Sim.
“First, the IAEA has observed that it continues to be challenging to ensure adequate staffing, routine inspections and maintenance, reliable logistics supply chains, and effective on-site emergency arrangements at the ZNPP.
“These present serious risks to the nuclear safety and security of the plant, and this situation must be immediately rectified.”
Secondly, the drone strikes in April have risked compromising the physical integrity of the nuclear plant.
She noted that mines have been placed in the buffer zone between the nuclear plant’s internal and external fences, and this poses a threat to the safety and security of it.
“We reiterate that the only way to uphold nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP is for all military activity in and around the vicinity of the plant to cease immediately,” said Ms Sim.
The IAEA has not been able to gain “timely and appropriate access” to all areas of nuclear plant.
“This inhibits the agency’s ability to make its assessments and report impartially and objectively on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” she said.
She also commended IAEA officials in continuing their work in Ukraine.
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Ms Sim, who is attending the event as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to seek a peaceful and lasting solution.
Ms Sim told the summit: “Singapore’s presence today underscores our commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter.
“We strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The principles of political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty are of utmost importance to us.
“The invasion of Ukraine violated these principles and posed an existential threat for all countries, including Singapore.
"These principles are vital for the security of all states, irrespective of size, which is why Singapore has unequivocally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We are not taking sides, we are upholding principles.”
She added that the destruction of infrastructure and increasing death toll remains “deeply troubling” as the conflict continues into its third year.
More than 10 million people have been displaced by the war.
Related:
The peace summit took place over the weekend. Leaders and top officials from more than 90 states spent the weekend at a Swiss mountainside resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European conflict since World War II.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he hoped to find a route to a "just peace" as soon as possible.
Dozens of countries agreed on Sunday that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Russia on ending the war, while strongly supporting Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.
"We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties," stated a final communique, supported by the vast majority of the countries that attended the summit at the Burgenstock complex overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The declaration also urged a full exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deported children.
But not all attendees backed the document, with India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates among those not included in a list of supporting states displayed on screens at the summit.
Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Sim Ann meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd at the opening ceremony of Ukraine peace summit from Jun 15 to Jun 16, 2024. (Photo: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland)
CONCERNS ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Singapore remains “gravely concerned” by the potential risks to nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The most recent incident involved a series of drone attacks in April.
“It is very worrying that military activity targeted at and around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has continued to occur,” said Ms Sim.
Singapore is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is currently on the Board of Governors.
“The safety risks faced by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and indeed by all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, underline the urgency of finding a peaceful solution to this conflict,” she said.
Earlier this month, IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi met with Russian officials and said it was unsafe to restart the Russian-held nuclear power plant.
Zaporizhzhia is currently reliant on one of its four main power lines and a backup line for external power.
Since Russia seized the plant weeks after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the plant has lost all external power eight times, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for power.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Mar 29, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
Ms Sim said that Singapore strongly supports Mr Grossi’s five basic principles for protecting the nuclear plant, including that there should be no attack from or against the plant.
Singapore also supports the agency’s “seven indispensable pillars” for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict. These include maintaining the “physical integrity” of the facilities and ensuring that all safety and security systems are functional at all times.
“Amid the very troubling and potentially dangerous developments at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, there are several immediate priorities to address,” said Ms Sim.
“First, the IAEA has observed that it continues to be challenging to ensure adequate staffing, routine inspections and maintenance, reliable logistics supply chains, and effective on-site emergency arrangements at the ZNPP.
“These present serious risks to the nuclear safety and security of the plant, and this situation must be immediately rectified.”
Secondly, the drone strikes in April have risked compromising the physical integrity of the nuclear plant.
She noted that mines have been placed in the buffer zone between the nuclear plant’s internal and external fences, and this poses a threat to the safety and security of it.
“We reiterate that the only way to uphold nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP is for all military activity in and around the vicinity of the plant to cease immediately,” said Ms Sim.
The IAEA has not been able to gain “timely and appropriate access” to all areas of nuclear plant.
“This inhibits the agency’s ability to make its assessments and report impartially and objectively on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” she said.
She also commended IAEA officials in continuing their work in Ukraine.
Continue reading...