Deiss urges Putin to end Chechen war
The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has responded to the election of Vladimir Putin as the new Russian president with a call for an early end to the war in Chechnya.
The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has responded to the election of Vladimir Putin as the new Russian president with a call for an early end to the war in Chechnya.
In common with other western leaders who have called on the president-elect to end the Chechen war, Deiss said Switzerland was concerned about the continuing conflict. He said Switzerland had expressed its concerns on a number of occasions in past months.
In an interview with German-language Swiss television, Deiss called on Russia to meet its obligations within the European Council and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
He also urged Russia to ensure that international humanitarian organisations were able to carry out their work in Chechnya under the best possible conditions.
Swissinfo with agencies
More
Go to war or stay put? Ukrainian men in Switzerland face fresh dilemmas
More
Switzerland’s priciest street makes room for a bakery shop
More
Global rankings: where Switzerland gets good marks – and where it could do better
More
The surprising boom of Switzerland’s least-loved coin
More
The Swiss Abroad in five charts
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.