Swiss voters have rejected an initiative to enshrine stricter neutrality rules in the country’s constitution, with more than 70% voting against the proposal in a referendum on Sunday.

Axar.az reports, citing Switzerland's media, that the initiative received just under 30% support. The proposal would have defined Switzerland’s neutrality as “eternal and armed,” barred the country from joining military alliances and prevented it from imposing sanctions not approved by the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said the result would allow the government to continue interpreting neutrality flexibly.

“This result is not a vote against neutrality. Switzerland was neutral yesterday, it is neutral today, and it will remain so in the future as well,” Cassis said.

The initiative was launched in response to Switzerland’s decision to mirror European Union sanctions against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Supporters argued that the sanctions violated Swiss neutrality.

Cassis said Switzerland adopted the sanctions because the war in Ukraine directly affected the interests of the country.

“We depend on a world in which rules are respected,” he said.

If approved, the proposal would have enshrined Switzerland’s principle of permanent and comprehensive neutrality in the Constitution, required the lifting of sanctions against Russia and prohibited the country from joining NATO.