The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Two-state solution to Middle East peace: Swiss diplomat

Two-state solution to establish lasting peace, Switzerland
Two-state solution to establish lasting peace, Switzerland Keystone-SDA

The two-state solution is the only guarantee for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security, according to Swiss diplomat Monika Schmutz Kirgöz.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

Kirgöz made this statement in New York during the UN Conference on the Middle East.

A recognition of the Palestinian state could be considered if concrete steps were taken to implement this goal, according to the Swiss government.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said it is important to proceed urgently on the path of diplomacy to implement the two-state solution. In this regard, Switzerland is ready to give decisive support to international efforts to this end.

More

Furthermore, the communiqué states that Switzerland considers the recognition of a Palestinian state to be one of the prerequisites for a lasting peace based on the two-state solution.

Recognition could be considered if concrete steps were taken to implement it, guaranteeing both the security of Israel and the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

During the conference, the head of the Middle East and North Africa Division expressed regret for the increasing suffering of the population in the Gaza Strip. Kirgöz also reiterated that all parties must strictly respect international law, including humanitarian law, as well as the UN Charter and UN resolutions, in order to stop the spiral of violence.

More

Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga

We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.  

Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.

If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch

Popular Stories

News

Boats sail to Solothurn to celebrate 700 years of Le Landeron

More

Boats sail to Solothurn to celebrate 700 years of Le Landeron

This content was published on The challenge of crossing Lake Biel from Le Landeron to Solothurn without a motor was taken up by 16 amateur crews on Saturday. The competition is part of Le Landeron's 700th anniversary celebrations.

Read more: Boats sail to Solothurn to celebrate 700 years of Le Landeron
On social networks, State Councillors have a smooth profile

More

Digital Democracy

Swiss cantonal ministers keep low profile on social media

This content was published on A small base of followers and neutral posts: these are the conclusions that emerge from a study published by UNIL researchers into the use of social networks by councillors of state.

Read more: Swiss cantonal ministers keep low profile on social media

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR