Swiss foreign minister says no EU accord talks before late 2020
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/swissinfo.ch/ds
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis says reaching a framework agreement with the European Union is no longer the country’s top priority on account of the coronavirus pandemic.
“What matters now is to save lives and avoid catastrophic economic consequences,” the Saturday press quoted him as saying.
Brussels and Bern have spent years negotiating a framework accord to replace more than 120 bilateral agreements.
The deal, according to the minister, will not be up for rediscussion before late 2020 or early 2021.
Switzerland is not a member of 27-nation bloc, but the EU is its main trading partner.
Opening borders gradually
In an interview with Blick newspaper, the minister said that Switzerland will “gradually open its borders in consultation with neighbouring countries.”
Switzerland, Cassis told the German-language newspaper, boasts sufficient hospital capacity and has the pandemic under control. The goal now is to prevent second wave of infections.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland facing biggest economic slump since 1975
This content was published on
In a revised forecast in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, federal authorities predict GDP will contract by 6.7% in 2020.
This content was published on
Flights from India on Saturday and Africa next Wednesday will conclude the biggest repatriation operation ever mounted by the Swiss foreign ministry.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.