The Swiss foreign ministry has expressed deep concern over the recent flare-up in tensions in Sri Lanka. It urged the government of the South Asian island nation to “do everything in its power to safeguard and strengthen the peace and stability in the country”.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ds
The appeal comes on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the end of civil war in Sri Lanka. The conflict lasted 30 years and claimed tens of thousands of civilian victims. More than 50,000 Sri Lankans sought refuge in Switzerland.
Sri Lanka has been in the grip of heightened intercommunal tensions in the wake of a string of suicide attacks carried out on April 21 by a little-known local Muslim group and claimed by ISIS.
“The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks against civilians and members of the Christian community in the capital Colombo and other cities, coupled with the ensuing clashes and assaults against ethnic minorities and refugees, showed that the root causes of the conflict have not yet been properly addressed,” the ministry said in a statement.
Switzerland reiterated its commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to secure lasting peace and stability.
Between 2009 and 2016, Switzerland built homes for 5,000 families and schools for 1,200 children in the north of the country. The focus of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)External link is now on labour migration. In 2018, the two nations signed an agreement to scale up their migration cooperation. It was the first pact of its kind between Switzerland and an Asian nation.
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
This content was published on
The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
This content was published on
More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
This content was published on
Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
This content was published on
One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
This content was published on
At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
This content was published on
Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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
Two Swiss confirmed dead in Sri Lanka bombings
This content was published on
Two Swiss citizens, one of them a Swiss-Sri Lankan dual national, were killed in bombings in Colombo on Sunday, the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed.
Sri Lankan adoption scheme: questionable but not illegal
This content was published on
The Swiss authorities have published a report aimed at shedding light on a partly illegal adoption programme involving children from Sri Lanka.
This content was published on
South and East Asia at a crossroads: while some countries are tempted by autocracy, others are strengthening participatory leadership.
This content was published on
Hundreds of Sri Lankan babies who were adopted by Swiss couples in the 1980s are trying to discover whether they were smuggled into the country.
This content was published on
The eight-week Swiss trial of 13 financiers accused of funnelling money to the Sri Lankan Tamil separatist group LTTE has cost CHF3.79 million.
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.