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Swiss Politics

Deiss receives ratification assurances in Dublin

This content was published on Oct 11, 2001 In addition to the developments in Ireland, the ratification process also got a vote of confidence in France, where the Senate gave the green light to the treaty on the free movement of people between Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland is now waiting for a response from Belgium, which has still to ratify the treaty.…

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Deiss to pressure Ireland to ratify bilateral treaties

This content was published on Oct 11, 2001 Deiss is leading a delegation of Swiss diplomats to lobby the Irish to put the ratification process in motion. The Irish government has yet to draft the necessary bill to put before the “Dáil” – the country’s House of Representatives – even though the treaties were due to come into effect last January. Until a…

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Swiss Politics

Aid agencies brace for humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan

This content was published on Oct 8, 2001 The head of the Swiss government’s development agency in Pakistan, Rudolf Hager, told swissinfo that “a humanitarian catastrophe is now unavoidable. We are talking about six to seven million people who are in danger of starving to death”. He added that since the US and British air strikes began on Sunday night, it had become…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss People’s Party grabs 10 per cent of Geneva parliament

This content was published on Oct 7, 2001 The party’s success followed an intensive election campaign led by the head of the Geneva branch, Jacques Pagan. The People’s Party’s General Secretary, Gregor Rutz, told the Sunday newspaper Dimanche.ch that “election campaigns in big towns have to be punchier than in peripheral cantons”. Lutz said his party had always wanted to have a stronghold…

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Swiss Politics

Sudanese rebels sign up to landmine ban

This content was published on Oct 7, 2001 The signing of the Deed of Commitment by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) was one of the biggest successes so far for the Geneva Call, a Swiss non-governmental organisation dedicated to including armed opposition movements in the process to ban landmines. It is also a potentially important step for the millions of civilians at…

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Swiss Politics

Alive and kicking

This content was published on Oct 2, 2001 The select side, made up of players from across the Swiss canton, are set to play FC Pristina on Wednesday in what will be the Kosovar team’s first home match against European opposition in more than ten years. “It’s a great moment for Kosovo,” Swiss organiser Urs Frieden told swissinfo as he finished packing for…

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Swiss Politics

Bunkers still relevant today, says Civil Protection Office

This content was published on Sep 30, 2001 The usefulness of maintaining these bunkers is often questioned, but the Swiss Civil Protection Office argues that they still fulfil an important function. “The shelters were designed for all kinds of incidents, such as nuclear or chemical accidents, not just war,” says Jürg Balmer, head of International Affairs at the Office. Protective filters Balmer explains…

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Swiss Politics

Delegates may step into Zug government next week

This content was published on Sep 28, 2001 The Zug cantonal government was plunged into crisis after it lost three of its members after a gunman opened fire during a session of the cantonal parliament. Eleven members of parliament were killed. The three people belonging to Zug’s seven-member government were identified as Monika Hutter-Häfliger, health director for canton Zug; construction director Jean-Paul Flachsmann,…

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Swiss Politics

Pakistan braces for influx of refugees

This content was published on Sep 27, 2001 Pakistani officials have announced that borders with Afghanistan will remain closed to Afghans without travel documents. However, they said refugees who manage to enter the country illegally will be permitted to stay and looked after. Bernard Imhasly, a Swiss journalist based in Pakistan, told swissinfo that the policy was aimed at preventing members of the…

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Swiss Politics

Americans baulk at global deal on sustainable development

This content was published on Sep 25, 2001 The two-day meeting brought together the 55 member states of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, which also incorporates North America. These countries are responsible for two thirds of the world’s economic output, but also two-thirds of carbon dioxide emissions, and therefore have a huge role to play in Johannesburg, which is being billed as…

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