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Swiss Politics

Chinese dignitary pays discreet visit

This content was published on Jul 2, 2002 Zeng Qinghong is the highest-ranking Chinese official to make the trip to Bern since Jiang’s own appearance in the Swiss capital in 1999. The president’s visit was a memorable one thanks to a minor diplomatic tiff. When he arrived in the Swiss capital, pro-Tibet supporters booed him. Jiang then accused the Swiss government and its…

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Middle East dominates Crans Montana Forum

This content was published on Jun 30, 2002 On Sunday afternoon, the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, spoke to the congress by satellite telephone saying he was prepared to meet the United States president, George W Bush, “any time, anywhere” to discuss peace in the Middle East. Arafat made his comments despite Bush’s recent call for his removal from power in a bid to…

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British marines shed light on “secret” Alpine training

This content was published on Jun 30, 2002 Dressed in civilian clothes, the Royal Marines recently staged ice climbing and rescue exercises on a glacier near the Sustenpass to prove that the high-altitude adventure training they undertake in Switzerland has no sinister motive. The demonstration was organised by the British Embassy in Bern after concerns were raised that allowing a foreign army to…

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Swiss abroad celebrate ten years of postal voting

This content was published on Jun 28, 2002 Before the new law was introduced on July 1 1992, the names of a mere 14,000 of the estimated 600,000 Swiss nationals living abroad were contained in the electoral register. Ten years on, that number has increased to 80,000. “The Swiss abroad want to be responsible citizens and take part in political decisions,” said Rudolf…

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Swiss Politics

International forum debates social responsibility

This content was published on Jun 28, 2002 Around 1,200 government and business leaders from around the world are expected at the annual forum to debate and exchange views on a range of subjects including European Union enlargement, security in the Great Lakes region of Africa and the role of women under Islam. One of the key contributions is expected to come from…

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Switzerland’s asylum policy is under pressure

This content was published on Jun 22, 2002 During the two-day summit EU leaders promised to come up with a common policy to curb illegal immigration. They agreed to begin joint border patrols as part of a new series of measures to combat illegal immigration and a draft declaration said that the 15 member countries would set up a common asylum policy by…

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Swiss Politics

Parliament tackles citizenship

This content was published on Jun 22, 2002 They include granting automatic citizenship to foreigners born in Switzerland, as long as one of their parents has spent at least five years in the country and has a valid residency permit. The procedure for becoming a Swiss citizen would also be made easier for young foreigners who have been to school in Switzerland for…

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Swiss Politics

German parliament throws out aviation deal

This content was published on Jun 21, 2002 The German Upper House of Parliament, the Bundesrat, on Friday refused to ratify the air transport accord, aimed at ending a long-running dispute over noise pollution. Representatives of the opposition Christian Democratic Union said the treaty conceded too much ground to Switzerland and put the main burden on the population of southern Germany. Residents have…

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Swiss MPs get more cash but no Moneypenny

This content was published on Jun 21, 2002 Following several inconclusive debates in the House of Representatives and the Senate, parliament on Thursday finally decided against introducing a system of state-funded parliamentary aides. Under the proposal, MPs would have been given SFr40,000 ($26,100) a year to hire personal secretaries for their parliamentary office. But opponents argued that this would cost too much and…

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Swiss Alps conference agrees mountain strategy

This content was published on Jun 20, 2002 Four days of negotiations in the Swiss resort of Adelboden resulted in a series of recommendations to promote and incorporate sustainable mountain development at the national and international level. “With this initiative, we have brought together all the stakeholders,” said Manfred Boetsch, director of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture. “In terms of bringing it…

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