Swiss and South Korean defence ministers hold talks on cooperation
Swiss Defence Minister Guy Parmelin held talks on Friday in Seoul with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo on issues including plans for a data protection agreement between the two countries.
This content was published on
1 minute
ATS/jc
The pair also discussed the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Switzerland’s involvement on the demarcation line between North and South Korea as part of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), according to the defence ministry.
On Thursday, the first day of his visit, Parmelin went to Panmunjeom in the demilitarized zone to “get an idea…of the work done by the Swiss officers,” the Defence ministry said in a statement. Swiss army officers have been present in the region since the end of the Korean war in 1953, where they are tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.
Parmelin, also the sport minister, is in South Korea for the closing events of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, which ends on Sunday.
On Friday he visited the House of SwitzerlandExternal link in Yongpyong and expressed pride in the achievements of the Swiss Olympics team, which had just won a 12th medal.
He also spoke about the possible Swiss candidacy for the Winter Olympics in Sion in 2026. Parmelin said canton Valais, of which Sion is capital, already has the necessary infrastructure. “That is why holding the Games in the Alps would be possible with a much lower budget than Pyeongchang or Beijing,” he said.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
This content was published on
Why Switzerland is one of the few countries providing aid to North Korea despite Pyongyang's nuclear tests and missile launches.
This content was published on
The Swiss government has followed the United Nations in extending economic sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear and missile programmes.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.