The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is planning to open a liaison office in Geneva, Tamedia Group newspapers revealed this week. The project has already been approved by Bern.
Following an initial green light given by the Swiss government in September 2022, the foreign affairs ministry is already preparing to set up the liaison office, according to media reports. NATO, which has two similar offices in New York and Vienna, must now submit an official request to Switzerland.
The decision to open a new office in Geneva is explained by the alliance’s desire to deepen its exchanges with the United Nations and other international organisations, as it announced last July at its summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
David Sylvan, a Geneva Graduate Institute professor specialist in international relations and NATO, told Swiss public broadcaster RTSExternal link on Thursday that this is a way for the alliance to get physically closer to the large number of diplomats in International Geneva, but not only that.
“It’s one of many signs that NATO is now starting to refocus. And not just, as its name suggests, in the North Atlantic, but also in Africa and even Asia,” said the expert. In that sense, a presence in Geneva would make its task easier.
The political world is not unanimous about this arrival. Some are worried about the arrival of this military alliance, but according to Sylvan, the presence of NATO should not harm the image of neutrality in Geneva, where many NGOs are already working on security and demining issues. He also believes that International Geneva is not immune to the armed conflicts taking place in the rest of the world.
It now remains for the Swiss government to give its formal approval, once the official request has been submitted.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
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.
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
Neutrality, NATO, and the new world order
This content was published on
Some countries saw Switzerland joining sanctions against Russia as the Alpine country abandoning its neutrality, but that’s not quite right.
Most Swiss support closer ties with NATO, survey reveals
This content was published on
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine last year, most Swiss say they want closer ties with NATO – but not membership, a study reveals.
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.