Swiss Abroad

Swiss to push for tougher global anti-smoking laws

This content was published on Apr 25, 2001 The Federal Health Office said on Wednesday that it would be coming out firmly in favour of a proposed international treaty to combat smoking when it attends a World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting, which kicks off on April 30. The gathering is the second round of negotiations over a framework convention to regulate tobacco consumption,…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland forced to back down in aviation row

This content was published on Apr 24, 2001 Under the terms of the accord – reached after five hours of talks in Berlin between the Swiss transport minister, Moritz Leuenberger, and his German counterpart, Kurt Bodewig – flights over southern Germany will be reduced by 35 per cent, from the current annual figure of nearly 150,000 to 100,000. Night flights over German territory…

Swiss Politics

Tradition supported with show of hands

This content was published on Apr 23, 2001 The vote is an example of Switzerland’s direct democracy in action. Eligible voters in the half canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden crowd into “Landsgemeinde” square on the last Sunday in April (April 29) to vote on local issues and elect the council. The day begins with a religious service in the St Mauritius church – the town’s…

Swiss Politics

Swiss less Euro-phobic than EU vote suggests

This content was published on Apr 20, 2001 The survey found that only 26 per cent of the people who voted against an immediate start to negotiations were opposed outright to EU membership. In the vote on March 4, just under 77 per cent of Swiss voters rejected a proposal, put forward by centre-left groups, which called for immediate talks on joining the…

Swiss Politics

Lausanne’s WADA bid still alive, despite EU snub

This content was published on Apr 19, 2001 A European Commission spokesman confirmed to swissinfo that directors of sport from the 15 EU member states had agreed during a meeting in Stockholm that locating WADA in Lausanne would harm the fledgling organisation’s credibility. However, far from being downhearted, those backing the Lausanne bid will be encouraged by the meeting in Stockholm. The spokesman…

Swiss Politics

Front-runner emerges in race to lead Christian Democrats

This content was published on Apr 17, 2001 The head of the party’s working group, Peter Hess, announced that it was backing Stähelin, 57, at a press conference in Bern on Tuesday. Durrer’s successor is due to be formally chosen at a party meeting on May 12. Hess also named a candidate to succeed one of the party’s vice-presidents, Rosmarie Zapfl, who is…

Swiss Politics

High-ranking Swiss official pays rare visit to North Korea

This content was published on Apr 11, 2001 Von Däniken spent two days in North Korea as part of a tour of the region which also took him to China and Japan. A foreign ministry official in Bern told swissinfo his discussions centred on diplomatic, humanitarian and economic aid issues. The official said von Däniken repeated that Switzerland was prepared to host further…

Swiss Politics

Government to push ahead with talks on Schengen

This content was published on Apr 11, 2001 In a statement on Wednesday, the justice ministry welcomed the results of preliminary talks with the EU and the “positive signals recently received from Brussels”. It said that full participation in the Schengen and Dublin agreements was in the best interests of Switzerland and its internal security. The Schengen agreement, which has been signed by…

Swiss Politics

Deiss meets Powell in Washington

This content was published on Apr 9, 2001 The meeting between Deiss and Powell is the first between a member of the Swiss government and the Bush administration. The Kyoto agreement, on controlling the emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming, dominated the talks between the two men. The Swiss foreign minister said on his departure from the State Department, in Washington,…

Swiss Politics

Swiss urge Bush to honour Kyoto Protocol

This content was published on Apr 9, 2001 The Swiss government is using Deiss’s visit – its first official contact with the new US administration – to convey Switzerland’s concerns about President Bush’s recent decision to abandon the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. In the letter to Bush, the Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, urges the president to “reconsider your position and… continue cooperation…

Swiss Abroad

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Swiss Abroad

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Swiss to push for tougher global anti-smoking laws

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Switzerland forced to back down in aviation row

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Tradition supported with show of hands

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Swiss less Euro-phobic than EU vote suggests

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Lausanne’s WADA bid still alive, despite EU snub

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Front-runner emerges in race to lead Christian Democrats

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High-ranking Swiss official pays rare visit to North Korea

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Government to push ahead with talks on Schengen

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Deiss meets Powell in Washington

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Swiss urge Bush to honour Kyoto Protocol

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