Swiss foreign minister meets UN special envoy to discuss Syria
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has called for a de-escalation in the violence in Syria and a political solution to resolve the nine-year-old conflict, following talks with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
العربية
ar
دعم سويسري لاجتماع اللجنة الدستورية الخاصة بسوريا في جنيف
The Swiss minister met Pedersen in the Swiss capital, Bern, on Monday to discuss the violence in north-eastern Syria and the upcoming first meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva on October 30.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump abruptly decided to pull 1,000 US troops from northeast Syria, clearing the way for Turkey to move in on Kurdish-controlled territory.
Trump’s decision allowed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to launch an offensive into the region aimed at creating a 20 mile (32 km) “safe zone” clear of the Kurdish YPG militia. The Kurdish fighters had been Washington’s main ally in the region but the Turkish government regards them as a terrorist group.
The Kurds pivoted quickly, allying themselves with Syria to try to hold off the Turkish onslaught.
A five-day US-brokered pause in Turkey’s military operation in northeast Syria is due to expire on Tuesday evening.
Cassis described the events in north-eastern Syria as a “violation of international law”.
“We hope that the latest ceasefire will be respected and taken as an opportunity to negotiate a de-escalation and political solution,” said the minister.
Putin-Erdogan meeting
Meanwhile, Erdogan is making an official visit to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. They are expected to discuss the YPG withdrawal from the rest of the border and how the Syrian constitutional committee can make concrete progress.
Pedersen said the establishment of a Syrian constitutional committee announced by UN Secretary General Guterres at the UN General Assembly last month could be a “door opener” to a political solution.
The constitutional committee will be composed of 150 Syrian delegates and is set to hold its first meeting in the western Swiss city next week. It is tasked with drafting a new constitution for Syria. As host state, Switzerland has promised to lend it its full support to the committee’s work and to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.
More
More
Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey
This content was published on
Several hundred people have again marched in Swiss cities to protest against Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish regions in Syria.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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
Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey
This content was published on
Several hundred people have again marched in Swiss cities to protest against Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish regions in Syria.
Swiss government calls on Turkey to cease fire in Syria
This content was published on
The Swiss government has called for Turkey to implement an immediate ceasefire in Syria. It is also taking steps to facilitate humanitarian aid.
Thousands in Zurich protest Turkey’s Syria offensive
This content was published on
Several thousand Kurds and sympathisers demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in Zurich against the Turkish offensive in northern Syria.
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.