Swiss embassy opens in Armenia
Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is home to the world’s newest Swiss embassy.
Swiss President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey opened it on Thursday. Now all three Caucasus republics, including Georgia and Azerbaijan, have Swiss embassies.
Konstantin Obolensky will serve as the Swiss ambassador to Armenia. Several Armenian leaders attended the opening ceremony, including President Serzh Sargsyan.
Talks centred around the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as the current situation in the region, as Swiss foreign ministry spokesman Lars Knuchel told the Swiss News Agency.
Switzerland has taken an active diplomatic role in the region. During a meeting in Zurich in 2009, leaders from Turkey and Armenia signed an accord to end the conflict between the two countries. However, current tension has put that agreement on hold.
Calmy-Rey will meet Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and visit the city of Gyumri before returning to Switzerland on Friday.
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