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Swiss voters on Sunday roundly rejected a proposal to tighten their country\u2019s neutrality, final results showed, dismissing an initiative championed by the hard-right and dubbed \u201cpro-Russian\u201d by opponents.<\/strong><\/p>\n While the Swiss widely embrace their neutrality, the initiative to enshrine a strict definition into the constitution exposed deep disagreement over what that neutrality entails.<\/p>\n The proposal was rejected by 70.1 percent of voters, according to the final results.<\/p>\n \u201cThis result is not a vote against neutrality,\u201d Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told journalists in Bern as the figures were announced.<\/p>\n \u201cSwitzerland was neutral yesterday, it will be neutral today and it will remain neutral,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Switzerland\u2019s traditional position is one of armed neutrality, but Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine reopened questions over how its neutrality should be applied in modern conflicts.<\/p>\n Concerned over Bern\u2019s decision to back the European Union\u2019s economic pressure on Russia, the pro-sovereignty Pro Switzerland organisation collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum under the country\u2019s direct democracy system on better anchoring neutrality in its constitution.<\/p>\n The proposal was opposed by the government, parliament and most major political parties. Opinion polls had also suggested that most voters would also reject it.<\/p>\n Moscow, which has slammed Switzerland for joining EU sanctions and accused Bern of abandoning its neutrality, praised the initiative \u2014 dubbed \u201cpro-Russian\u201d by some critics.<\/p>\n The proposal called for the constitution to guarantee that Swiss neutrality is \u201carmed and perpetual\u201d.<\/p>\n It would have prevented Switzerland, whose neutrality dates back to 1516, from pursuing closer ties with NATO ruling out any military alliance except in the event of an attack on the country.<\/p>\n It would have also prohibited the imposition of sanctions unless called for by the United Nations.<\/p>\n All sides in the debate argued they wanted to maintain Switzerland\u2019s neutrality.<\/p>\n Both the Swiss government and parliament objected that the proposal was too rigid and would limit the country\u2019s room for manoeuvre at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n \u201cNeutrality has always been applied with a degree of flexibility,\u201d Cassis said during a recent televised debate.<\/p>\n While Switzerland had no plans to lift a ban on selling arms to countries in conflict, including to Ukraine, he stressed that \u201cneutrality does not mean indifference\u201d.<\/p>\n The country, he said, would \u201cnot look away when we see violations of the very international rules that allow us to live in peace\u201d.<\/p>\n The only political party backing the initiative was the country\u2019s largest, the hard-right Swiss People\u2019s Party (SVP).<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to foster peace, diplomacy and dialogue,\u201d SVP vice president Celine Amaudruz said during a televised debate.<\/p>\n \u201cTo achieve that, we must maintain credibility through perpetual armed neutrality.\u201d<\/p>\n apo\/yad\/jj<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0\u2018Perpetual armed neutrality\u2019<\/h2>\n