Switzerland's authorities are assisting in identifying owners of Ukrainian assets frozen in Swiss banks who are facing money laundering charges in Ukraine, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Didier Burkhalter has said.

"The return of assets that are now in Switzerland is a priority for our state. Despite the fact that our relations with Ukraine are benevolent, the process of returning these assets is very long," he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Burkhalter also noted that Switzerland for its part provides assistance to the judicial system of Ukraine for establishing the owners of these assets. "It is very important to determine the owners of these assets. The process will then accelerate," he added.