Swiss offer mediation in Afghan crisis, join airlift efforts
Switzerland is sending a plane to Uzbekistan to repatriate people evacuated from Kabul, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Bern is also offering its mediation services for Afghanistan should they be desired.
A SWISS plane will fly to Tashkent on Saturday to take Swiss nationals and others of different nationalities back to Europe, according to the foreign ministryExternal link. It did not specify the number of people concerned but said the plane has about 300 seats. The plane will bring around 1.3 million Covid-19 masks that Switzerland is offering to Uzbekistan, and there will be medical staff on board.
“This charter flight is a concrete, burden-sharing contribution made by Switzerland, joining the evacuation efforts of the international community,” according to the statement. “As part of this, 14 Swiss citizens have been able to reach Switzerland, thanks to flights operated by Germany and the US. Switzerland is working closely with partner states to coordinate evacuation efforts.”
The ministry also said it continues to “work tirelessly” to evacuate its local personnel, Swiss citizens and people with close ties to Switzerland. “The Swiss embassy in Islamabad, responsible for consular matters in Afghanistan, is maintaining regular contact with the roughly 35 Swiss citizens still there,” said the statement. “This number has increased because more Swiss citizens have reported their presence to the embassy in Islamabad over the course of the last few days.”
Bern said it was examining ways to deliver humanitarian aid and is willing to provide its good offices, “should all the actors involved so desire”.
The foreign ministry recalled that Switzerland has been a participant in the meetings of the International Contact Group on Afghanistan and had hosted two major donor conferences for Afghanistan in Geneva in 2018 and 2020.
More
More
Pressure grows on Switzerland to accept Afghan refugees
This content was published on
Several Swiss cities have added their voice to growing demands for Switzerland to open its doors to refugees from Afghanistan.
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss diplomat describes ‘intense’ evacuation from Kabul
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss cooperation office in Kabul has described the evacuation from Afghanistan as “intense and emotional”.
This content was published on
The most recent events in Afghanistan have grabbed the attention of the world. Many of those scenes bring with them a sense of heartbreak.
Swiss hesitate to offer shelter to large numbers of Afghan refugees
This content was published on
The government has agreed to take in about 230 people from war-torn Afghanistan but has no plans for now to accept larger groups of refugees.
This content was published on
Switzerland has suspended repatriations to Afghanistan “until further notice owing to the changed situation in the country”.
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.