Ukraine's allies, international institutions and the private sector will meet in Switzerland on Monday and Tuesday with the aim of drafting a "Marshall Plan" for the reconstruction of the country invaded and partly destroyed by Russia.

But, by the way, what is the Lugano Conference?

What are the objectives of this Lugano Conference?

“Lugano will be one of the first, if not the first platform for discussing the reconstruction of Ukraine, concrete steps and a plan,” explained Artem Rybchenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland.

The Lugano Conference had been planned long before the war to discuss reform and the fight against corruption, but the invasion by Russia on February 24 effectively made the meeting a forum to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine.

It must give Kyiv, which urgently needs financing, the opportunity to share its recovery plan and discuss with all stakeholders how best to meet the challenges ahead.

The conference should conclude with a joint declaration which must establish the “priorities, method and principles” of this Ukrainian recovery.

She aspires to draw the outlines of the reconstruction strategy inspired by the "Marshall Plan", an American initiative which had made it possible to rebuild a Europe devastated by the Second World War.

Lugano will not be a donors' conference.

“It is a conference during which we will discuss how we want to launch this process” of recovery, underlined the special ambassador in charge of the conference, Simon Pidoux.

He sees it as a compass.

And Volodymyr Zelensky, will he be there?

The Swiss hosts had hoped to be able to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person but, due to the conflict, Prime Minister Denys Schmygal will lead the largest delegation to leave the country since the start of the war, including six ministers, parliamentarians and regional managers.

“President Zelensky was involved in the preparation from the start,” the ambassador stressed.

He will make an online intervention as he has become accustomed to.

In total there will be eight heads of government, 15 ministers and 38 countries represented as well as 14 organisations, 350 representatives from the private sector and 210 from civil society.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has confirmed her attendance, as have the heads of government of Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Where is Lugano and how will it be?

The picturesque city of Lugano, which has the air of an Italian Mediterranean city with its palm trees, its arcades and its piazza, is located on the edge of the eponymous lake, nestled at the bottom of a spectacular mountain circus.

A stone's throw from the Italian border, it is one of the three major financial centers of Switzerland but also a place of vacation and rest.

It is popular with rich and famous Russians, including Alina Kabaeva, who is credited with a long affair with President Vladimir Putin.

Our file on the war in Ukraine

Swiss and regional authorities said strict security measures would be in place: airspace restrictions and the presence of hundreds of military personnel to help regional law enforcement.

The head of the regional government of Ticino, Norman Gobbi, expressed his optimism about the success of the conference.

“It is our small contribution to European security, and therefore ours,” he said.

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