Swiss Politics Archives - Page 1230 of 1338

More

Swiss Politics

Swiss to open aid office in Kabul

This content was published on Feb 18, 2002 The announcement comes a week after a delegation visited the city to assess the security situation on the ground. Despite recent tensions, including last week’s killing of Afghanistan’s civil aviation minister, Abdul Rahman, the SDC insists the time is right to open an office to coordinate Swiss humanitarian work in the region. “One can never…

More

Swiss Politics

Swiss delegation investigates human rights in Chiapas

This content was published on Feb 17, 2002 The eleven-strong delegation will meet government representatives and Zapatista rebels in an effort to facilitate dialogue between the two sides. They will also meet civilians in order to assess human rights conditions in the region. The eastern state has been plagued by unrest since an uprising in 1994, when 10,000 civilians revolted against the Mexican…

More

Swiss Politics

Switzerland exhibits its diplomatic gifts

This content was published on Feb 17, 2002 Nearly all the exhibits on view at the Kunstmuseum in Thun were presented to Swiss federal government ministers and officials while on official visits abroad or when receiving their foreign counterparts in Bern. Some stand out as works of art – although there are one or two objects which come dangerously close to qualifying as…

More

Swiss Politics

Swissaid targets social injustice

This content was published on Feb 14, 2002 But anyone expecting a poster campaign featuring the legendary Swiss freedom fighter shooting an apple off his son’s head is in for a surprise. Swissaid has commissioned Indian artists to paint Asian, African and Latin American versions of Tell’s son with tropical fruit rather than an apple as the crossbow target. The artists, from the…

More

Swiss Politics

No to UN would be “incomprehensible”, says Annan

This content was published on Feb 13, 2002 “I would be extremely disappointed if the Swiss people voted against joining the UN, because Switzerland has already contributed heavily to our efforts,” he said from UN headquarters in New York in an interview with French-speaking Swiss television. “The whole world is present in the UN. Can [Switzerland] really stay on the sidelines of the…

More

Swiss Politics

Swiss in Kabul to consider new aid office

This content was published on Feb 12, 2002 The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the organisation which coordinates Switzerland’s overseas aid programmes, said the move would ensure closer cooperation with other international aid agencies and humanitarian organisations already based in the city. “I’m very optimistic because it looks like everybody is moving up there,” said the SDC’s Hans Ulrich Salzmann, who…

More

Swiss Politics

Macedonian ambassador recalled

This content was published on Feb 11, 2002 Last month, Bern issued Skopje with a deadline of February 18 to withdraw Ambassador Alajdin Demiri after he had been found drunk behind the wheel on several occasions. “We don’t have any information yet about the new ambassador,” said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Daniela Stoffel. Switzerland has asked on several occasions for diplomats to be…

More

Swiss Politics

Majority of cantons in favour of UN membership

This content was published on Feb 10, 2002 The survey, commissioned by two Swiss newspapers, the “SonntagsBlick” and “dimanche.ch”, has shown that twelve cantons are in favour of UN membership, five are against it and six cantons remain undecided. The poll has suggested that six cantons, which were still undecided in November last year, would now vote in favour of membership. Two of…

More

Swiss Politics

Switzerland offers to mediate in Madagascar

This content was published on Feb 9, 2002 The Indian Ocean island’s capital, Antananarivo, has been paralysed by a general strike called by the opposition candidate, Marc Ravalomanana, who is contesting the validity of President Didier Ratsiraka’s election victory last December. Dominik Langenbacher, chargé d’affaires at the Swiss Embassy in Antananarivo, said diplomats were attempting to broker a meeting between the president and…

More

Swiss Politics

Constitutional crisis deepens in Liechtenstein

This content was published on Feb 7, 2002 His warning comes after the parliament of the tiny state said it would consider reforming the constitution in an effort to find a solution to the crisis. However, Liechtenstein’s head of state has so far refused to accept a compromise. In his speech at the opening of the latest parliamentary session, the prince even went…

Swiss Politics

Popular Stories

Most Discussed