Switzerland beefs up security for Biden-Putin summit
Barbed wire and fences have been installed around the La Grange and Eaux-Vives parks in Geneva. The "Villa La Grange" is the confirmed location of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Special security measures are being prepared for next week’s summit in Geneva between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Local airspace will be restricted for three days and the public will be banned from accessing the lake and lakeside streets in the city centre.
The Federal Council (exeucutive body) on Friday approved a temporary restriction on the use of airspace during the summit from June 15-17 in Geneva. The Swiss Air Force will provide air policing and tighter airspace surveillance.
Commercial flights to and from Geneva International Airport will not be affected by the restriction, the government said in a statementExternal link on Friday.
The government has approved the deployment of 1,000 military personnel in support of the Geneva cantonal police. Soldiers will be responsible for protecting foreign diplomatic buildings and will provide equipment to the Geneva cantonal police for air and lake transport.
Biden and Putin are set to meet on June 16 at the Villa La Grange, an 18th-century Swiss villa in the south of the city that is being prepared for the event.
The summit will take place at the Villa La Grange, an 18th-century Swiss villa overlooking Lake Geneva.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Afp
The villa is located in a picturesque wooded park with a stunning view of Lake Geneva and sailboats. But sailors will be unable to take their boats out on the Petit Lac, close to the city centre.
The cantonal authorities will impose a wide security area from 4am until midnight on Wednesday 16. It plans to cordon off the lake and lakeside streets from the Mon Repos park close to the International Geneva district, along the Quai Wilson and the Quai du Mont Blanc over the Mont Blanc bridge, and along the Quai Gustav Ador to the La Grange and Eaux-Vives parks.
The Geneva authorities have also encouraged local businesses and companies to work from home on June 16. A ban has also been imposed on any public demonstrations in Geneva during the summit.
Security zone in the centre of Geneva for the Putin-Biden summit on June 16. The public and vehicles are banned from the red zone that day.
SITG
The White House has played down expectations for the summit and said Biden plans to raise issues including Ukraine, arms control, human rights and cyber ransomware attacks. Russian officials have said their agenda will include issues like strategic stability, global crises, climate change and efforts to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
More
More
Biden-Putin summit: Why Geneva?
This content was published on
What advantages does Geneva have as a venue for top international summits?
This content was published on
Shopping around the clock, even on Sundays and public holidays: retailer Migros is planning Switzerland's first Migros supermarket with continuous opening hours in Herisau.
More and more unexploded army ordnance found in Swiss hiking regions
This content was published on
More and more unexploded ordnance is being defused in Switzerland. Thanks to over a thousand tips from the public, the army neutralised 273 such munitions last year, 26% more than the long-term average.
World Expo: Swiss present robot-controlled wedding cake with edible battery
This content was published on
Confectioners and scientists from Switzerland and Italy and have created a robot-controlled, edible wedding cake, "RoboCake".
This content was published on
The traditional Olma pig race is not a sporting event and may therefore not be authorised by the city of St Gallen under the title of sports betting, says the intercantonal gambling watchdog.
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has filed charges against a 21-year-old Swiss national with the Federal Criminal Court for a planned jihad trip.
First asparagus of the year harvested in Swiss fields
This content was published on
The first Swiss asparagus this year have been harvested. Before Easter, however, there are still not enough for large-scale distributors.
This content was published on
Transaction prices for owner-occupied homes in Switzerland rose slightly in the first quarter of 2025. Demand is being supported in particular by mortgage rates, which remain low.
This content was published on
“The leaders will discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the US-Russia relationship,” read a White House statementExternal link issued on Tuesday. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev held talks in Geneva on Monday to pave the way for…
When it comes to violations of international law, Switzerland is not neutral
This content was published on
The “neutral” label attached to Switzerland does not spare it taking a stand on tricky foreign policy issues, writes Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl.
Need a diplomatic messenger? Switzerland is eager to help
This content was published on
Switzerland's “protecting power” mandates have nearly doubled in the last few years. So why is there rising interest in this Swiss good office?
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.