Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Switzerland sees record number of Kosovar asylum seekers

This content was published on Sep 10, 1999 The Swiss Refugee Office said asylum requests increased by a dramatic 80 percent compared to last year because of the crisis in Kosovo, but added that the once tense refugee situation eased considerably. Official figures released at the weekend showed that, by the end of August, 38,579 new asylum requests had been filed with the…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland assures Portugal of support over East Timor

This content was published on Sep 8, 1999 President Ruth Dreifuss (right) told visiting Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio that Switzerland was concerned about the crisis in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, and that the government would not remain passive in light of the violent events there. Dreifuss made the statement in her official welcoming address for Sampaio, who was paying a…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland to boost its image abroad

This content was published on Sep 8, 1999 The Swiss government on Wednesday announced a major programme aimed at improving Switzerland’s image abroad, particularly in the United States. Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss told a news conference in the capital Berne that the government was asking parliament to approve SFr46 million ($31 million) over four years for a new organisation — called “Presence Switzerland”…

Swiss Politics

Portuguese President Sampaio arrives for state visit

This content was published on Sep 8, 1999 Portugal’s President Jorge Sampaio arrived Wednesday for a one-day state visit to Switzerland, where official talks will be dominated by the bilateral relations between Switzerland and the European Union. The state visit was to have lasted three days but was cut short on Lisbon’s request because of the critical situation in the former Portuguese colony…

Swiss Politics

NATO commander Clark praises Swiss commitment in Kosovo

This content was published on Sep 6, 1999 United States Army Gen. Wesley Clark (centre), NATO’s top commander in Europe, on Monday praised Switzerland’s commitment in Kosovo, saying it was an important signal to the world that the country was willing to shoulder international responsibilities. Speaking after watching Swiss troops on field exercises near St. Gallen, Clark welcomed the deployment of about 160…

Swiss Politics

More people are leaving Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 1, 1999 The number of Swiss people living abroad is increasing, according to the latest statistics from the foreign ministry in Berne. A total of 572,957 Swiss were registered with Swiss authorities as living abroad at the end of June – an increase of 8,739 (1,5 percent) over June 1998. Nearly 400,000 of the Swiss had double…

Swiss Politics

Swiss parliament overwhelmingly supports ratification of accords with EU

This content was published on Aug 31, 1999 The Swiss parliament on Tuesday came out in favour of ratifying the bilateral accords with the European Union. But as the political debate on the issue continues, the possibility of a national vote remains well and alive. The Senate followed the House of Representatives and gave its unanimous support to the accords, which spell out…

Swiss Politics

Swiss parliament debates pros and cons of Swiss-EU accords

This content was published on Aug 31, 1999 The Swiss parliament was on Tuesday debating whether the advantages outweighed the disadvantages should Switzerland accept the bilateral accords with the European Union. The debate came after the Senate followed the House of Representatives and came out in favour of the accords, which define economic and technological cooperation, public procurement, mutual acceptance of diplomas and…

Swiss Politics

Swiss parliament discusses bilateral accords with European Union

This content was published on Aug 30, 1999 Swiss Economics Minister Pascal Couchepin (l) and Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss were among those attending Monday’s start of a four-day parliamentary discussion on whether to ratify the wide-ranging bilateral accords with the European Union. The sensitive political and economic accords were signed in June but still have to be ratified by the Swiss parliament as…

Swiss Politics

Swiss parliament debates bilateral accords with European Union

This content was published on Aug 30, 1999 Relations between Switzerland and the European Union top the political agenda in Switzerland in the next few days, as parliament debates a comprehensive package of bilateral agreements that will probably move Switzerland much closer to the EU than ever before. Both chambers of parliament on Monday began a four-day session to debate the sensitive political…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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