Switzerland Today
Prehistoric graves, historic fountains and train rides – these are among the latest news and stories from Switzerland on Wednesday.
In the news: Prehistoric and historic events.
- Celebrations have been launched to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the first time-tabled railway line in Switzerland. Transport Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and a delegation of dignitaries travelled the 23km stretch of railway line from the town of Baden to Zurich on board a historic train. In a speech during Tuesday’s festivities Sommaruga praised the public transport system as a pillar of the country.
- A burial site from the Bronze Age has been discovered in a mountain village near the town of Sion in southwestern Switzerland. At least 18 graves, containing human bones and burial objects in stone-built coffin-like boxes from 2000 BC were unearthed. To the surprise of the archaeological experts, the bodies were buried in a foetal position, a practice from the Neolithic Age.
- The Swiss finance minister, Ueli Maurer, has held talks in New Delhi on bilateral issues as well as on India’s presidency of the G20 group of states next year. The discussion focused on sustainable finance and trade issues, according to a press release. Last week, Switzerland’s state secretary in the foreign ministry, Livia Leu, was also in the Indian capital trying to boost trade relations between the two countries.
Switzerland is keen to offer its diplomatic services to Ukraine in Moscow as part of the Alpine Nation’s long-standing tradition of good offices.
The foreign ministry said today the details of a deal had been agreed. But Russia still has to give its approval to such a mandate.
A protecting power mandate usually consists of providing consular services or coordinating prisoner visits, but the importance can go beyond it as it could help open doors and boost the Swiss reputation. The Aargauer Zeitung newspaper and its sister publications of the CH-Media group says the project has been pushed personally by the Swiss and Ukrainian presidents, Ignazio Cassis and Volodymyr Zelensky, for several months.
Switzerland has a history of providing good offices for conflicting nations. Up until 2015 the Swiss represented the interests of the US in Cuba and vice versa. Other mandates include between the US and Iran, and between Russia and Georgia.
But not all the efforts – underway behind closed doors – are successful as shown by the example of Venezuela and the US. In 2019, Washington agreed a Swiss mandate but Caracas never approved it.
As the drought continues with low water levels in many rivers threatening the fish population, authorities have begun to let public fountains run dry.
Questions have also been raised about the numerous fountains in the medieval old town of Bern – popular tourist attractions in the Swiss capital.
But the local water authorities here have assured that neither the town nor the surrounding region are facing a shortage of drinking water, according to the local Der Bund and Berner Zeitung newspapers.
The water tables along the main Aare river have not been affected too much by the dry period and the local authorities have made efforts over the past two decades to improve cooperation, experts say.
Bern’s fountains have also made it into the Lonely Planet tourist guide, not only for their picturesque figures and the quality of the drinking water, but also because wines flow from their pipes once in a while – on official orders.
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