Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Minister says Swiss economy needs foreign labour

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008 In an interview with swissinfo, she stresses how important the foreign workforce is and speaks about the government’s asylum policy. Widmer-Schlumpf who is also acting finance minister, delivered Thursday’s opening address to a two-day meeting in Lucerne on the theme of Diversity and Integration. swissinfo: As you mentioned in your speech to the conference in…

Swiss Politics

Libya poll

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008

Swiss vow to fight terror, help disarmament

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008 They said the country would ratify the latest four protocols to battle terrorism on October 15. But Switzerland believes there is an urgent need to draw up an international convention to define the concept clearly in international law. With an international disarmament conference in Oslo two months away, the Swiss also confirmed their intention to…

Swiss Politics

Libya increases pressure on Switzerland

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008 According to the Libyan state news agency, Jana, the foreign ministry there said the move was retaliation for “abuse of Libyan diplomats and business people by the Geneva police”. Diplomatic tensions between the two countries started in July following the arrest in Geneva of one of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s sons. Media reports quoted Issam…

Swiss Politics

Libya takes more action against Switzerland

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008 According to the Libyan state news agency Jana, the sum concerned amounts to around SFr8 billion ($7.1 billion). It is the latest episode in diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The Swiss foreign ministry said on Thursday evening that it had not yet received any official information from Libya on the situation. Media reports quoted…

Swiss Politics

Libya to stop oil supplies

This content was published on Oct 10, 2008 Issam Zanati, director of the Libyan Tamoil company, told the French news agency AFP that the decision to halt the oil supplies had come from Libya, not the company. He was unable to give any reason, or to say for how long deliveries would be suspended. Farhat Qadara, head of Libya’s central bank, told The…

“Integration is an economic opportunity”

This content was published on Oct 9, 2008 Speaking at an international conference on the issue in Lucerne, Widmer-Schlumpf said the entire country shared responsibility for integration. “I am convinced that integration, if managed resourcefully, is an investment for the future that can bring benefits for everyone – not only Swiss citizens and the Swiss economy, but also the 1.5 million people who…

Swiss Politics

Asylum applications rise again

This content was published on Oct 9, 2008 More than 4,400 applications have been handed in, according to the Federal Migration Office, making a total so far this year of 10,351 – up 29.4 per cent on 2007. The largest number of asylum seekers came from Eritrea, with 704, followed by Somalia, 551, and Serbia and Kosovo, 405. By contrast, the number of…

Swiss Politics

Swiss ready for role in Georgia

This content was published on Oct 8, 2008 Couchepin met Medvedev for 30 minutes of separate talks during the World Policy Conference in Evian, France on Wednesday. The pair also discussed the global financial crisis and international situation as well as their countries’ bilateral relations. Russia formally requested Switzerland’s representation in Georgia after ties to the former Soviet republic of Georgia were severed…

Swiss Politics

US “backburner constituents” voice concerns

This content was published on Oct 8, 2008 swissinfo attended a dinner in Geneva organised by the American Citizens Abroad (ACA) organisation to gauge the concerns of United States expats less than one month ahead of the presidential vote. The evening began in a party atmosphere at the Hotel Richemond in Geneva on Saturday evening as a group of 60 Americans met to…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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