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Swiss Politics

Iraqi visitors given insight into federalism

This content was published on Feb 28, 2006 The group of judges, parliamentarians and other representatives of civil society are spending a week in Switzerland, organised by the Swiss foreign ministry and the Institute of Federalism at Fribourg University. The 23 visitors from Iraq received an insight into Switzerland’s political system, Thomas Greminger of the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. He said the…

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Bern and Brussels sign Cohesion Fund deal

This content was published on Feb 27, 2006 The document sets out how Bern will finance projects to the tune of SFr1 billion ($760 million) over five years as part of the so-called Cohesion Fund. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey signed the memorandum on Monday with her Austrian counterpart, Ursula Plassnik, and the EU’s commissioner for external affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. A statement from…

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Swiss to host second round of Sri Lanka talks

This content was published on Feb 24, 2006 Both sides also pledged to respect a fragile four-year-old ceasefire and to take “all necessary measures” to stop acts of violence, abductions and killings. Swiss diplomats who hosted the talks welcomed the positive outcome, which was announced late on Thursday at a secluded chateau outside Geneva. “We welcome especially the agreement found on ways of…

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Azerbaijan visit addresses Karabakh conflict

This content was published on Feb 23, 2006 The Azerbaijani government responded on Friday by inviting Calmy-Rey to visit a refugee camp for displaced persons from the territory. The camp near Baku houses 270 people driven out of the mainly ethnic Armenian territory within Azerbaijan. “It is hard to see people living in such conditions,” Calmy-Rey said. “And it is even harder to…

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Swiss Politics

Azerbaijan visit to address Karabakh conflict

This content was published on Feb 23, 2006 While the trip will focus on economic ties, the issue of Azerbaijan’s continuing conflict with Armenia over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh is due to be raised. The foreign ministry said three bilateral agreements would be signed with Baku. “We are talking about an investment protection agreement, a double taxation agreement and a framework agreement for…

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Swiss cabinet approves EU cohesion fund deal

This content was published on Feb 22, 2006 The beneficiaries are limited to the ten new member states and the deal will be signed in Brussels on Monday. Switzerland had promised to pay its contribution to the Cohesion Fund when it signed the second set of bilateral accords with the EU in May 2004. The Swiss economics minister, Joseph Deiss, said in Bern…

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Peace builder welcomes Sri Lankan talks

This content was published on Feb 22, 2006 The Swiss-hosted meeting, which starts on Wednesday, will be attended by delegations from the Sri Lankan government and from the rebel Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). These are the first talks between the two sides for three years. They will take place on the anniversary of the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire, which was negotiated four years…

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Sri Lanka peace talks open in Switzerland

This content was published on Feb 21, 2006 The meeting, organised by Norway, is the first between the two sides for nearly three years, and takes place amid escalating violence in Sri Lanka. Discussions are expected to focus on the implementation and the strengthening of a ceasefire agreement, brokered by Norway in 2002. There were some positive signs ahead of the talks including…

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Kosovo talks meet with mixed reactions

This content was published on Feb 20, 2006 The United Nations-mediated meeting in Austria between Serbian and ethnic Albanian officials is expected to discuss more rights for Serbs and other minorities. “It will be the first contact between parties,” said Thomas Fleiner, a Swiss legal expert who is advising the Serbian government’s team and who will be taking part in the discussions. The…

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German-Swiss talks centre on flight paths

This content was published on Feb 16, 2006 But there was no breakthrough on Thursday over flight paths into Switzerland’s largest airport and the resulting noise pollution, which have poisoned bilateral relations. In March 2003 the Swiss parliament rejected an accord with Germany, which sought to limit the number of flights permitted to use airspace over southern Germany before landing in Zurich. In…

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