Swiss gave Putin and Biden watches at Geneva summit
Switzerland gave watches to US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at this week’s historic summit in Geneva, Swiss public broadcaster RTS reports.
It says Biden chose to give Putin a pair of aviator sunglasses “Made in the USA” and a crystal sculpture of a bison. But these exchanges took place far from the cameras, as protocol requires, so we don’t know if Putin liked his gift or if he returned the favour, RTS adds. It says the bison is a symbol of unity, resilience and stability.
Meanwhile, Le Matin Dimanche newspaper looks at some of the figures from the summit. It says the Americans spent nearly 1.2 million dollars on hotel bills for the occasion, spread between several Geneva establishments. Top of the list was the Intercontinental, where Biden occupied the 650 square metre luxury suite on the top floor.
As for security, 4,000 police and army personnel were deployed, and two kilometres of barbed wire used to cordon off the park around Villa La Grange where the two leaders met. The lakeside area in central Geneva was closed off to the public for 20 hours on a day when the outside temperature was up to 31 degrees. Le Matin writes that 3,000 journalists covered the event. According to the paper, the summit itself lasted 180 minutes.
Hailed as a diplomatic coup for Switzerland, the summit did not produce any dramatic announcements, but in a first sign of bearing fruit, Moscow on Sunday returned its ambassador to Washington.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
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.
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
Putin and Biden wrap up talks in Geneva
This content was published on
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the four hours of talks with US President Joe Biden in Geneva had been constructive.
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.