Opening of Swiss embassy in Moscow sponsored by Russian oligarch
Timchenko at the House of Switzerland pavilion at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
The Volga Group, owned by Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko, was among the companies that sponsored the three days of festivities leading to the inauguration of the new Swiss embassy building in Moscow.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-Keystone/ac
Timchenko, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, contributed an unknown amount to the June 18 inauguration ceremony. In total, sponsors including Volga group and Swiss-based firms like Philip Morris, Glencore, ABB, Sika, UBS, Zurich Insurance, Roche, Nestlé, Stadler and Victorinox contributed CHF555,000 ($565,221) of the CHF700,000 bill for the event.
The Swiss foreign ministry defended the financial contributions. It stated that Timchenko is committed to relations between the European Union and Russia and that he has been awarded the French Legion of Honour for his contributions to culture. His cultural foundation also finances various projects in Switzerland.
In general, sponsorship of events in Swiss embassies is “not a new phenomenon”, said the ministry. This practice helps to strengthen the Swiss economy abroad and, conversely, encourages investment in Switzerland. This is part of the tasks of embassies.
The inauguration of the new Swiss embassy building took place in the presence of Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and 800 guests. The CHF42 million building brings houses the diplomatic and consular representation, the Swiss Business Hub (business promotion), Pro Helvetia (culture promotion), Switzerland Tourism and the ambassador’s residence.
More
More
Foreign Affairs
Switzerland inaugurates new multi-million-franc Moscow embassy
This content was published on
Switzerland has inaugurated a new embassy in Moscow which brings together various agencies promoting Swiss interests abroad.
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.
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.
Swiss rents forecast to rise up to 5% annually, housing chief warns
This content was published on
Rents on the Swiss market are set to rise by between 3% and 5% a year over the next few years, warned Martin Tschirren, Director of the Federal Housing Office (FHO), on Sunday. "Demand for housing remains higher than supply".
This content was published on
The Council of the Swiss Abroad, meeting today in Bern, passed a resolution in favour of the new Electronic Identity Act (Id-e), which will be put to the vote on 28 September.
One person consumes 4.8 megawatt hours of electricity
This content was published on
On average, the Swiss consume 4.8 megawatt hours of electricity per year. According to Velobiz.de, this is roughly equivalent to the amount generated by all 176 cyclists in the Tour de France during the entire race.
Outgoing ICRC chief in Ukraine defends neutrality amid war
This content was published on
Swiss national Jürg Eglin, outgoing head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine, reflects on his tenure.
Green party leader criticises government’s neo-liberal policy
This content was published on
The Green Party delegates' meeting opened on Saturday morning in Vicques (JU) with a speech by party president Lisa Mazzone. Mazzone took particular aim at the Federal Council's policy towards the United States.
Working on Sundays is detrimental to well-being, says Swiss study
This content was published on
A study by the University of Bern shows that working on Sundays is detrimental to well-being and particularly affects women.
Safra Sarasin private bank and former asset manager sentenced
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has fined private bank J. Safra Sarasin CHF3.5 million for aggravated money laundering. A former bank employee received a six-month suspended prison sentence.
JPMorgan to pay CHF270 million to settle 1MDB claims
This content was published on
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay CHF270 million to the Malaysian government to settle all issues related to its role in the 1MDB financial scandal.
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.