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Swiss Politics

Protests disrupt Olympic flame ceremony

This content was published on Mar 24, 2008 Despite such disruptions, which come in the wake of China’s violent crackdown in Tibet, a Swiss former United Nations special rapporteur believes a boycott of the Games is not the solution. On Monday three men evaded massive security and ran onto the field of the stadium in Greece’s Ancient Olympia during the flame-lighting ceremony. The…

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Criticism over Iran visit again rejected

This content was published on Mar 23, 2008 She denied allegations she was the victim of state propaganda by the Iranian authorities trying to bypass international sanctions. Calmy-Rey reiterated that she raised human rights issues during her talks with the president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and the Iranian foreign minister. She also said her presence at the signing ceremony for a deal between a private…

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Development aid to be more streamlined

This content was published on Mar 20, 2008 On Thursday the House of Representatives followed the Senate in voting in favour of reducing the list of priority nations from 17 to 12. Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said this would be the second reduction in priority countries since 2003, when the number was lowered from 24 to the current 17. Calmy-Rey supported the move…

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Israel deplores Swiss gas deal with Iran

This content was published on Mar 20, 2008 The deal, between a private Swiss energy company and Tehran, was signed in the Iranian capital earlier this week in the presence of the Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey. The Israeli reaction comes just days after the United States criticised the gas deal. Israel’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Swiss ambassador Walter Haffner on…

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Swiss Politics

Israel deplores Swiss gas deal with Iran

This content was published on Mar 20, 2008 The deal was signed in the Iranian capital Tehran earlier this week in the presence of the Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey. The United States has also criticised the gas deal. Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it had summoned Swiss ambassador Walter Haffner to deplore Calmy-Rey’s trip to Iran, calling it “an…

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Swiss Politics

UN to use lake water to reduce carbon footprint

This content was published on Mar 20, 2008 The thermal exchange network is expected to be in operation by the end of 2008 and will allow UN agencies and other international and non-governmental organisations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and conserve water. Anatoli Kondrachov, head of the UN’s Procurement and Contracts Unit, said the decision to sign on to the Genève-Lac Nations project…

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Chad warned over military aircraft misuse

This content was published on Mar 19, 2008 Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey made the appeal during an official visit to Switzerland by her counterpart Ahmat Allam-Mi on Wednesday. Switzerland had considered imposing sanctions against the country after discovering the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft – exported for training purposes – had been armed and used in military operations. This had contravened the export rules, and…

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Swiss Politics

Merz condemns attacks on banking secrecy

This content was published on Mar 19, 2008 He described pressure from neighbouring countries as unacceptable and labelled comments by some of Switzerland’s harsher critics impertinent. He denied the country was a tax haven, and added that authorities had been at the forefront in the fight against money laundering. Switzerland has been gradually introducing a withholding tax on interest made in Swiss bank…

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Swiss dismiss US rebuke over energy deal

This content was published on Mar 18, 2008 Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said Washington’s angry reaction was to be expected, but added Switzerland had its own strategic interests to defend. She reiterated that the US authorities had been informed about the contract between the private Swiss energy firm, EGL, and the National Iranian Gas Export Company. The accord does not violate United Nations…

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Parliament approves stun guns for police

This content was published on Mar 18, 2008 Both houses of parliament on Tuesday came out in favour of the Taser device, ending several rounds of inconclusive debate in the House of Representatives and the Senate over the past two years. Tasers are already authorised by several of Switzerland’s 26 cantons which have widespread autonomy for their police work. Opponents pointed out that…

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