Swiss agree with Russians on trade and security
A free-trade agreement with Russia remains a priority for Switzerland, Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey has said at a meeting with her Russian counterpart.
Sergey Lavrov met Calmy-Rey on Wednesday for the sixth time. The diplomats discussed bilateral ties, energy, taxation and security issues during the session in Bern.
Given Switzerland’s role as a neutral state outside the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), Calmy-Rey said Bern could be a valuable partner for Moscow in its debate with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Switzerland has represented Russian interests in Georgia, where Russia fought a five-day war last August over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The OSCE’s peace monitoring mandate in the region expires on June 30 with no new deal likely. The head of the OSCE in Greece expressed hope on Thursday that Russia will still sign off on new efforts.
Russian President Dimitry Medvedev is scheduled to come to Switzerland this autumn.
Switzerland has worked on 14 accords with Russia since 2007, most of which concern the protection of investments, double taxation, visa issues and cooperation in the event of a catastrophe.
Swiss companies invested SFr5.7 billion ($5.2 billion) in Russia in 2007, an amount Calmy-Rey said she expects will increase.
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