Cluster: Geopolitics

Swiss back efforts to revive Middle East peace process

This content was published on Jun 3, 2016 “We are ready to contribute to this new dynamic towards a just and long-lasting peace … which is based on a negotiated two-state solution,” he declared at the opening of an international conference in Paris on Friday. France convened foreign ministers from major powers to try to put Israeli-Palestinian peace-making back on the international agenda…

Foreign Affairs

On Swiss visit, Kurdish leader criticises Europe’s inaction

This content was published on Jun 2, 2016 Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party HDP, is an outspoken critics of the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He pointed out that European criticism of Erdogan’s repression of the Kurds has been silent since the European Union made a deal to send migrants back to Turkey earlier this year. Germany…

Foreign Affairs

First batch of Ben Ali funds returned to Tunisia

This content was published on Jun 2, 2016 The funds are believed to have once belonged to a nephew of Ben Ali, according to the AFP press agency. Following the overthrow of Ben Ali in the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, the Swiss authorities froze CHF60 million held in Swiss accounts. The assets were suspected of being “laundered” or gained via “participation in a…

Foreign Affairs

Are the ‘rules of war’ in crisis?

This content was published on May 23, 2016 On May 3, the UN Security Council demanded that hospitals and clinics be protected in war zones, in a resolution that draws attention to the rise in attacks on medical workers in conflicts worldwide. So, are the “rules of war” in a crisis? Helen Durham, international law and policy director at the Swiss-run International Committee…

Foreign Affairs

Protesters march against agrichemicals

This content was published on May 21, 2016 Demonstrators marched from Basel’s city centre to the headquarters of agribusiness group Syngenta which produces chemicals and seeds. The protestors called on the Swiss government to ensure that multinational companies respect the right to food. China’s state-run ChemChina has offered to purchase the company for $43 billion (CHF42.6 billion). The organisers say the aim of…

Foreign Affairs

Jihadist extremism a ‘very limited phenomenon’ in Switzerland

This content was published on May 19, 2016 Just how appealing are jihadi, rightwing and leftwing extremism to Swiss youngsters? This was the main theme of a conference organised on Wednesday by the social services department of Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). To gauge sentiment, ZHAW carried out a mini survey among 200 former ZHAW students and academics in attendance. The results…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss to watch over future Colombia peace deal

This content was published on May 19, 2016 In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said it supports the ongoing negotiations between the two sides and welcomes their recent declaration on the peace agreement. On May 12, Colombia’s government and FARC rebels agreed on a series of legal mechanisms to ensure any peace deal agreed at negotiations will be constitutionally binding if…

Foreign Affairs

Stories of torture in Syria shock Swiss students

This content was published on May 18, 2016 Speaking to students at a Bern secondary school, refugees describe the brutal torture they were subjected to before fleeing Syria.

Foreign Affairs

Swiss to send experts to Moldova for peace mission

This content was published on May 4, 2016 The unarmed experts will support and advise the Moldovan authorities in training personnel in the safe disposal of and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. It is in the interest of Switzerland’s foreign and security policy to stabilise the region between Romania and Ukraine, the statement adds. The 57-member OSCE…

Foreign Affairs

Government eases Middle East weapons export ban

This content was published on Apr 20, 2016 The moratorium has held up more than 50 multi-million franc deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Swiss weapons manufacturers had voiced their concerns at the ban, with the state-controlled Ruag saying it had cost the company tens of millions of francs and potential job losses. Last summer, lobby groups for the…

Cluster: Geopolitics

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Cluster: Geopolitics

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Swiss back efforts to revive Middle East peace process

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On Swiss visit, Kurdish leader criticises Europe’s inaction

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First batch of Ben Ali funds returned to Tunisia

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Are the ‘rules of war’ in crisis?

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Protesters march against agrichemicals

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Jihadist extremism a ‘very limited phenomenon’ in Switzerland

More

Swiss to watch over future Colombia peace deal

More

Stories of torture in Syria shock Swiss students

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Swiss to send experts to Moldova for peace mission

More

Government eases Middle East weapons export ban

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