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The voters in Switzerland extended their overwhelming support to increasing the global minimum tax rate to 15 per cent for multinational corporations, as 79 per cent of people voted in favour, showed projections published shortly after polls ended. The polls were carried out by gfs.bern institute. 
 
The vote will permit an amendment to the constitution so that the country can join an international agreement, mooted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for imposing 15 per cent of the global minimum tax rate for multinational corporations. 
 
The plan is to introduce the new rate on all Swiss-based companies which have a turnover above €750 million ($818mn). Until now, some of the lowest corporate tax rates across the world have been imposed by many of the country's 26 cantons, for which they gave reason for the need to attract more businesses in the face of high location costs and wages. 
 
The government of Switzerland has estimated that the revenue generated from the supplementary tax would amount to between 1.0 and 2.5 billion Swiss francs in the first year.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/rammstein-fans-sex-assault-protesters-face-off-at-swiss-concert-605650">Rammstein fans, sex assault protesters face off at Swiss concert</a>

<h2 lang="en-US">Swiss voters back net-zero climate law</h2>

The people in Switzerland, keeping in mind the drastic impact of global warming on their rapidly melting glaciers, on Sunday supported a new climate bill which is aimed at taking the country towards carbon neutrality by 2050, as per the early estimates. 
 
The gfs.bern institute's initial projections showed that 58 per cent of Swiss people voted yes in the referendum on the new law. If the law comes into force, the country will need to cut down its dependence on imported gas and oil and scale up the use and development of greener and homegrown alternatives. 
 
In the opinion polls held recently, strong but slipping support was indicated for the climate bill amid a campaign around economic ruin and electricity shortages, which was infused with anxiety and driven by the populist right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP). 
 
The supporters had stated the "Federal Act on Climate Protection Targets, Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security" is required to ensure energy security.

WATCH |&nbsp;Switzerland: Women stage 'feminist strike,' a scream for equality

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They added that it will help address the issues arising from climate change which has been highlighted by the drastic melting of glaciers in the Swiss Alps, resulting in it losing a third of its ice volume between 2001 and 2022. 
 
Around three-quarters of its energy is imported by Switzerland as all the oil and natural gas consumed by the people come from abroad. Initially, climate activists wanted to place a total ban on all gas and oil consumption in Switzerland by 2050. 
 
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The voters in Switzerland extended their overwhelming support to increasing the global minimum tax rate to 15 per cent for multinational corporations, as 79 per cent of people voted in favour, showed projections published shortly after polls ended.

The voters in Switzerland extended their overwhelming support to increasing the global minimum tax rate to 15 per cent for multinational corporations, as 79 per cent of people voted in favour, showed projections published shortly after polls ended. The polls were carried out by gfs.bern institute. The vote will permit an amendment to the constitution so that the country can join an international agreement, mooted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for imposing 15 per cent of the global minimum tax rate for multinational corporations. The plan is to introduce the new rate on all Swiss-based companies which have a turnover above €750 million ($818mn). Until now, some of the lowest corporate tax rates across the world have been imposed by many of the country's 26 cantons, for which they gave reason for the need to attract more businesses in the face of high location costs and wages. The government of Switzerland has estimated that the revenue generated from the supplementary tax would amount to between 1.0 and 2.5 billion Swiss francs in the first year. ALSO READ | Rammstein fans, sex assault protesters face off at Swiss concert Swiss voters back net-zero climate law The people in Switzerland, keeping in mind the drastic impact of global warming on their rapidly melting glaciers, on Sunday supported a new climate bill which is aimed at taking the country towards carbon neutrality by 2050, as per the early estimates. The gfs.bern institute's initial projections showed that 58 per cent of Swiss people voted yes in the referendum on the new law. If the law comes into force, the country will need to cut down its dependence on imported gas and oil and scale up the use and development of greener and homegrown alternatives. In the opinion polls held recently, strong but slipping support was indicated for the climate bill amid a campaign around economic ruin and electricity shortages, which was infused with anxiety and driven by the populist right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP). The supporters had stated the "Federal Act on Climate Protection Targets, Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security" is required to ensure energy security. WATCH | Switzerland: Women stage 'feminist strike,' a scream for equality They added that it will help address the issues arising from climate change which has been highlighted by the drastic melting of glaciers in the Swiss Alps, resulting in it losing a third of its ice volume between 2001 and 2022. Around three-quarters of its energy is imported by Switzerland as all the oil and natural gas consumed by the people come from abroad. Initially, climate activists wanted to place a total ban on all gas and oil consumption in Switzerland by 2050. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Switzerland: People vote for 15 per cent tax rate hike for multinationals

The teachers in schools in Switzerland have raised alarm about many children coming to class wearing diapers because they have not been trained on how to use the toilet. 
 
“Kids are going to school as early as four years old now, so yeah, you might actually find some still in diapers,” said Dagmar Rosler, head of the Swiss Federation of Teachers, while speaking to the Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten. “When 11-year-olds come to school in diapers, that’s a worrying trend,” she added. 
 
Many children have become so much accustomed to wearing diapers that they are not interested in changing the convenient but unsanitary method. As per Mayo Clinic, the average age of children who receive toilet training is between 18 months and 24 months, however many parents have been avoiding the training session.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/switzerland-people-vote-for-15-per-cent-tax-rate-hike-for-multinationals-605792">Switzerland: People vote for 15 per cent tax rate hike for multinationals</a>

“Some parents let it slide because diapers are a convenient relief. It’s not seen as a problem these days,” stated educational scientist Margrit Stamm. “That sends a totally wrong message,” she added. 
 
Child development expert Rita Messmer said that the number of children wearing diapers in school has “skyrocketed”, as she emphasised her 11-year-old patient who had not learned how to use the toilet on their own.

<h2 lang="en-US">Burden for teachers</h2>

The lack of knowledge of children has become a burden for a lot of teachers who are forced to assist them with soaked diapers. 
 
“Parents have a responsibility to make sure their school-aged kids aren’t wearing diapers anymore. Teachers aren’t there to change their students’ diapers. That’s crossing a line,” said Rosler. 
 
Although the issue is rampant in Switzerland, similar problems have emerged in Buffalo, New York where parents have not been teaching their children how to use the toilet. 
 
“Teacher aides here say that it’s not their responsibility (to change diapers),” Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, said.

WATCH |&nbsp;Switzerland: Women stage 'feminist strike,' a scream for equality

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“There is no policy in place, or procedure in place, to work with the child to either potty train them, to clean them when they have an accident. “The teacher can’t do it because it takes away from the class,” Rumore said. 
 
The Buffalo Teachers Federation stated that 43 children were not efficiently trained to use toilets, which led to accidents and teasing from classmates. 
 
“I’m not blaming the parents … because in some cases we have an autistic child, or we have a child with emotional problems or physical problems,” Rumore stated.

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The teachers in schools in Switzerland have raised alarm about many children coming to class wearing diapers because they have not been trained on how to use the toilet.

The teachers in schools in Switzerland have raised alarm about many children coming to class wearing diapers because they have not been trained on how to use the toilet. “Kids are going to school as early as four years old now, so yeah, you might actually find some still in diapers,” said Dagmar Rosler, head of the Swiss Federation of Teachers, while speaking to the Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten. “When 11-year-olds come to school in diapers, that’s a worrying trend,” she added. Many children have become so much accustomed to wearing diapers that they are not interested in changing the convenient but unsanitary method. As per Mayo Clinic, the average age of children who receive toilet training is between 18 months and 24 months, however many parents have been avoiding the training session. ALSO READ | Switzerland: People vote for 15 per cent tax rate hike for multinationals “Some parents let it slide because diapers are a convenient relief. It’s not seen as a problem these days,” stated educational scientist Margrit Stamm. “That sends a totally wrong message,” she added. Child development expert Rita Messmer said that the number of children wearing diapers in school has “skyrocketed”, as she emphasised her 11-year-old patient who had not learned how to use the toilet on their own. Burden for teachers The lack of knowledge of children has become a burden for a lot of teachers who are forced to assist them with soaked diapers. “Parents have a responsibility to make sure their school-aged kids aren’t wearing diapers anymore. Teachers aren’t there to change their students’ diapers. That’s crossing a line,” said Rosler. Although the issue is rampant in Switzerland, similar problems have emerged in Buffalo, New York where parents have not been teaching their children how to use the toilet. “Teacher aides here say that it’s not their responsibility (to change diapers),” Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, said. WATCH | Switzerland: Women stage 'feminist strike,' a scream for equality “There is no policy in place, or procedure in place, to work with the child to either potty train them, to clean them when they have an accident. “The teacher can’t do it because it takes away from the class,” Rumore said. The Buffalo Teachers Federation stated that 43 children were not efficiently trained to use toilets, which led to accidents and teasing from classmates. “I’m not blaming the parents … because in some cases we have an autistic child, or we have a child with emotional problems or physical problems,” Rumore stated. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Worrying trend in Switzerland: 11-year-old kids wear diapers to school as teachers remain concerned

Renowned Islamic scholar and former professor at Oxford University, Tariq Ramadan, was acquitted of rape and sexual coercion charges by a Geneva Criminal Court on Wednesday (May 24). He was accused by a Swiss woman who has asked to be identified by an alias ‘Brigitte.’&nbsp;

<h2>About the case</h2>

The 60-year-old was accused of rape by a Swiss woman who alleged that the incident took place in a Geneva hotel in 2008 where she was subjected to&nbsp;brutal sexual assault, beatings and insults.&nbsp;

The alleged abuse took place on the night of October 28, 2008, when Brigitte, a fan of Ramadan, was invited by him for coffee after a conference. Ramadan, who is also a Swiss citizen, would have faced up to three years in prison if he was convicted. &nbsp;

<h2>What happened in the court?</h2>

In court, Brigitte also requested that a screen be put up so that she would not have to look at the man she claimed raped her. She also went on to detail the alleged attack in detail and how the two had exchanged messages before their meeting&nbsp;at the conference and book signing.&nbsp;

The Swiss woman also spoke about how she feared that she was going to die. Brigitte said she filed the lawsuit nearly a decade later after multiple allegations emerged against Ramadan in France. While he had also previously denied all the charges, the 60-year-old did admit that he had met the woman before and invited him to his hotel room.

The 60-year-old has since rejected these claims and said he is the victim of a “trap” and called the accusations against him politically motivated. Meanwhile, his French and Swiss lawyers questioned the Swiss woman about the inconsistencies around the dates of the alleged attack.&nbsp;

The prosecution argued that she could not have made up the alleged attack as Brigitte gave details to the judges which she would not have been able to do otherwise.&nbsp;Ramadan’s lawyer also called the charges against his client “crazy”.&nbsp;

During his final statements in court last week, Ramadan asked not to be tried on his “real or supposed ideology” and urged the judges not to be “influenced by the media and political noise”.

The verdict was announced following a week’s deliberation by the three judges in the court in Geneva.&nbsp;Brigitte's&nbsp;lawyers have said that they will appeal the verdict. 
 
More cases to follow? 
 
This case could just be one of many against Ramadan as French prosecutors are still assessing if the charges brought against the Islamic scholar should be taken to court.&nbsp; 
 
He was first accused of rape in 2017&nbsp;by a French woman and after the case went public, more&nbsp;women came forward. As of 2020, Ramadan is facing at least five charges of rape, one of which was in Switzerland, while others are in France.&nbsp;

As per media reports, investigators have found hundreds of text messages he had sent to the women, some of which detail violent sexual fantasies. He also reportedly faces criminal rape complaints made by women in the United States. Notably, he had also spent nine months in detention in France before he was released&nbsp;in 2018.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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Renowned Islamic scholar and former professor at Oxford University, Tariq Ramadan, was acquitted of rape and sexual coercion charges by a Geneva Criminal Court on Wednesday (May 24).

Renowned Islamic scholar and former professor at Oxford University, Tariq Ramadan, was acquitted of rape and sexual coercion charges by a Geneva Criminal Court on Wednesday (May 24). He was accused by a Swiss woman who has asked to be identified by an alias ‘Brigitte.’ About the case The 60-year-old was accused of rape by a Swiss woman who alleged that the incident took place in a Geneva hotel in 2008 where she was subjected to brutal sexual assault, beatings and insults. The alleged abuse took place on the night of October 28, 2008, when Brigitte, a fan of Ramadan, was invited by him for coffee after a conference. Ramadan, who is also a Swiss citizen, would have faced up to three years in prison if he was convicted. What happened in the court? In court, Brigitte also requested that a screen be put up so that she would not have to look at the man she claimed raped her. She also went on to detail the alleged attack in detail and how the two had exchanged messages before their meeting at the conference and book signing. The Swiss woman also spoke about how she feared that she was going to die. Brigitte said she filed the lawsuit nearly a decade later after multiple allegations emerged against Ramadan in France. While he had also previously denied all the charges, the 60-year-old did admit that he had met the woman before and invited him to his hotel room. The 60-year-old has since rejected these claims and said he is the victim of a “trap” and called the accusations against him politically motivated. Meanwhile, his French and Swiss lawyers questioned the Swiss woman about the inconsistencies around the dates of the alleged attack. The prosecution argued that she could not have made up the alleged attack as Brigitte gave details to the judges which she would not have been able to do otherwise. Ramadan’s lawyer also called the charges against his client “crazy”. During his final statements in court last week, Ramadan asked not to be tried on his “real or supposed ideology” and urged the judges not to be “influenced by the media and political noise”. The verdict was announced following a week’s deliberation by the three judges in the court in Geneva. Brigitte's lawyers have said that they will appeal the verdict. More cases to follow? This case could just be one of many against Ramadan as French prosecutors are still assessing if the charges brought against the Islamic scholar should be taken to court. He was first accused of rape in 2017 by a French woman and after the case went public, more women came forward. As of 2020, Ramadan is facing at least five charges of rape, one of which was in Switzerland, while others are in France. As per media reports, investigators have found hundreds of text messages he had sent to the women, some of which detail violent sexual fantasies. He also reportedly faces criminal rape complaints made by women in the United States. Notably, he had also spent nine months in detention in France before he was released in 2018. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan acquitted in Swiss rape trial

A tourist plane crash in western Switzerland on Saturday left several dead, reports said.

Regional police confirmed that a plane had crashed near Franco-Swiss border at&nbsp;Ponts-De-Martel in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel, about 150 km west of Zurich.

The plane crash reportedly happened around 10:20 am (0820 GMT) in a steep and forested area in the Neuchatel Mountains.

Police said they would hold off on providing information on the plane that crashed, how many people who had been onboard and how many who may have perished or been injured until their families had been informed of the accident.

Rescue services and police are at the scene of the wreckage, and authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, the RTN broadcaster reported.

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A tourist plane crash in western Switzerland on Saturday left several dead, reports said. Regional police confirmed that a plane had crashed near Franco-Swiss border at Ponts-De-Martel in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel, about 150 km west of Zurich.

A tourist plane crash in western Switzerland on Saturday left several dead, reports said. Regional police confirmed that a plane had crashed near Franco-Swiss border at Ponts-De-Martel in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel, about 150 km west of Zurich. The plane crash reportedly happened around 10:20 am (0820 GMT) in a steep and forested area in the Neuchatel Mountains. Police said they would hold off on providing information on the plane that crashed, how many people who had been onboard and how many who may have perished or been injured until their families had been informed of the accident. Rescue services and police are at the scene of the wreckage, and authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, the RTN broadcaster reported. More information to be added soon... WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Switzerland: Tourist plane crash near French border leaves several dead

Credit Suisse, one of the leading banks in Switzerland, faced a significant "bank run" ahead of its collapse in March 2023, a Reuters report indicated on Monday.&nbsp;

The Swiss bank announced that it experienced a significant outflow of assets totaling 61 billion Swiss francs ($68 billion) in the first three months of 2023,&nbsp;with the bank's wealth management division being the hardest hit.&nbsp;

A bank run takes place&nbsp;when a large number of customers of a bank withdraw their deposits at the same time over fears about the bank's solvency.

Depositors began withdrawing their funds from the scandal-plagued Credit Suisse after it became entangled in the market upheaval caused by the failures of US lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

As a result, Swiss authorities scrambled to create a rescue package in which UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs in equity and accept up to 5 billion Swiss francs in damages. It also included state financial guarantees worth 200 billion francs.

A Tricky Position

Despite&nbsp;a major bank run, the Swiss banking giant also reported&nbsp;a net profit of 12.8 billion Swiss francs ($14 billion)&nbsp;for the first quarter ending March 2023. This was a notable increase compared to the significant loss incurred in the same period last year. The bank attributed the positive net profit mainly to the emergency takeover deal that wiped out high-risk debtors.

The significant asset outflows along with a&nbsp;rise in net profit&nbsp;was met with mixed reactions in the market. While the increase in net profit was viewed positively, the persistent outflows of assets raised concerns about the bank's ability to overcome its challenges.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Credit Suisse's ability to generate revenue appeared to be impaired. London-based KBW analyst Thomas Hallett told&nbsp;Reuters that the "rescue deal could well remain a drag on UBS operating results unless a deeper restructuring plan is announced."

Credit Suisse also cancelled the planned $175 million acquisition of Michael Klein's investment banking business, which it had planned to spin alongside its own investment banking division.

According to RBC Capital Markets analysts,&nbsp;the results show&nbsp;the difficult work ahead for UBS in acquiring&nbsp;its rival.&nbsp;UBS is yet to announce how many Credit Suisse jobs will be cut. Following the takeover, UBS executives stated that the deal will result in $8 billion in cost savings by 2027, $6 billion of which will come from reducing the number of full-time employees.

Credit Suisse, one of the leading banks in Switzerland, faced a significant "bank run" ahead of its collapse in March 2023, a Reuters report indicated on Monday.

Credit Suisse, one of the leading banks in Switzerland, faced a significant "bank run" ahead of its collapse in March 2023, a Reuters report indicated on Monday. The Swiss bank announced that it experienced a significant outflow of assets totaling 61 billion Swiss francs ($68 billion) in the first three months of 2023, with the bank's wealth management division being the hardest hit. A bank run takes place when a large number of customers of a bank withdraw their deposits at the same time over fears about the bank's solvency. Depositors began withdrawing their funds from the scandal-plagued Credit Suisse after it became entangled in the market upheaval caused by the failures of US lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. As a result, Swiss authorities scrambled to create a rescue package in which UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs in equity and accept up to 5 billion Swiss francs in damages. It also included state financial guarantees worth 200 billion francs. A Tricky Position Despite a major bank run, the Swiss banking giant also reported a net profit of 12.8 billion Swiss francs ($14 billion) for the first quarter ending March 2023. This was a notable increase compared to the significant loss incurred in the same period last year. The bank attributed the positive net profit mainly to the emergency takeover deal that wiped out high-risk debtors. The significant asset outflows along with a rise in net profit was met with mixed reactions in the market. While the increase in net profit was viewed positively, the persistent outflows of assets raised concerns about the bank's ability to overcome its challenges. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse's ability to generate revenue appeared to be impaired. London-based KBW analyst Thomas Hallett told Reuters that the "rescue deal could well remain a drag on UBS operating results unless a deeper restructuring plan is announced." Credit Suisse also cancelled the planned $175 million acquisition of Michael Klein's investment banking business, which it had planned to spin alongside its own investment banking division. According to RBC Capital Markets analysts, the results show the difficult work ahead for UBS in acquiring its rival. UBS is yet to announce how many Credit Suisse jobs will be cut. Following the takeover, UBS executives stated that the deal will result in $8 billion in cost savings by 2027, $6 billion of which will come from reducing the number of full-time employees.

Credit Suisse faced 'bank run', depositors withdrew $68 billion ahead of UBS takeover

Swiss President Alain Berset on Tuesday (April 11) defended Credit Suisse takeover by UBS saying that letting Credit Suisse fall would have triggered a catastrophe. He was addressing an extraordinary session of Swiss parliament. The session was called to debate the controversial March 19 deal that was arranged by the government quickly behind closed doors.

Letting Credit Suisse go bankrupt once the stock markets reopened on March 20 "would potentially have created an international financial crisis with devastating effects for Switzerland, for companies, for private customers but also for the reputation of our country", the president said.

"The demise of Credit Suisse is not the demise of Switzerland. It is the loss of a bank; a large bank but only a bank. Nothing more, nothing less."

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The three-day session at the Federal Assembly in Bern was called after lawmakers found themselves before a fait accompli.

Credit Suisse takeover by UBS has dramatically changed financial landscape of Switzerland. The Alpine country stakes much of its national prestige on sound banking.

The takeover triggered unease among the public and lawmakers alike, with the country's second-largest bank rapidly imploding after 167 years, during which it helped finance Switzerland's industrial growth.

"Without intervention, Credit Suisse would have found itself, in all likelihood, in default on March 20 or 21," Berset said. 
Rather than bankruptcy, nationalisation or attempting to restructure a bank in which confidence was shot, the takeover was considered the most likely option to restore market confidence, the president told the 46-member Council of States, the upper house of parliament.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Swiss President Alain Berset on Tuesday (April 11) defended Credit Suisse takeover by UBS saying that letting Credit Suisse fall would have triggered a catastrophe.

Swiss President Alain Berset on Tuesday (April 11) defended Credit Suisse takeover by UBS saying that letting Credit Suisse fall would have triggered a catastrophe. He was addressing an extraordinary session of Swiss parliament. The session was called to debate the controversial March 19 deal that was arranged by the government quickly behind closed doors. Letting Credit Suisse go bankrupt once the stock markets reopened on March 20 "would potentially have created an international financial crisis with devastating effects for Switzerland, for companies, for private customers but also for the reputation of our country", the president said. "The demise of Credit Suisse is not the demise of Switzerland. It is the loss of a bank; a large bank but only a bank. Nothing more, nothing less." Watch | Saudi Prince Fahad to pay Credit Suisse $41 million × The three-day session at the Federal Assembly in Bern was called after lawmakers found themselves before a fait accompli. Credit Suisse takeover by UBS has dramatically changed financial landscape of Switzerland. The Alpine country stakes much of its national prestige on sound banking. The takeover triggered unease among the public and lawmakers alike, with the country's second-largest bank rapidly imploding after 167 years, during which it helped finance Switzerland's industrial growth. "Without intervention, Credit Suisse would have found itself, in all likelihood, in default on March 20 or 21," Berset said. Rather than bankruptcy, nationalisation or attempting to restructure a bank in which confidence was shot, the takeover was considered the most likely option to restore market confidence, the president told the 46-member Council of States, the upper house of parliament. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Fall of Credit Suisse not a fall of Switzerland, says president

Despite sanctions imposed by the European Union, Switzerland’s exports to Russia have dropped only marginally, while pharmaceutical exports continued to soar,&nbsp;a study has said.&nbsp;

Swiss exports to Russia in other sectors like machines and watches have come to a standstill, but pharma continued to rise exponentially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Neue Zurcher Zeitung am Sonntag newspaper reported citing figures from the&nbsp;Federal Office&nbsp;for Customs and Border Security.&nbsp;

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pharma exports rose by about 40 per cent, from around $1.54 billion to around $2.2 billion. It now accounts for about a third of all Swiss exports to Russia.&nbsp;

This is because medicines are considered humanitarian goods, and hence it doesn’t fall under the ambit of sanctions.&nbsp;

Switzerland hosts many large pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis and Roche.&nbsp;

“Sales in Russia were driven by a number of factors, including the influx of patients who had delayed medical treatment due to the pandemic,” Novartis told the paper while talking about the rise of pharma exports to Russia.&nbsp;

“One factor was the stockpiling by patients and hospitals in anticipation of possible bottlenecks,” the company added, regarding the war.&nbsp;

Between March 2022 and February 2023, Switzerland exported goods worth $3.2 billion to Russia, which was marginally lower than $3.8 billion in the previous year.&nbsp;

“Given the long list of goods that can no longer be shipped to the warring country, the impact seems soberingly small,” the weekly said.&nbsp;

Though it has honoured EU sanctions on Russia, Switzerland remained strictly neutral.&nbsp;

It has also been facing pressure from Kyiv and its allies to allow countries holding Swiss-made weaponry to re-export it to Ukraine.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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Despite sanctions imposed by the European Union, Switzerland’s exports to Russia have dropped only marginally, while pharmaceutical exports continued to soar, a study has said.

Despite sanctions imposed by the European Union, Switzerland’s exports to Russia have dropped only marginally, while pharmaceutical exports continued to soar, a study has said. Swiss exports to Russia in other sectors like machines and watches have come to a standstill, but pharma continued to rise exponentially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Neue Zurcher Zeitung am Sonntag newspaper reported citing figures from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pharma exports rose by about 40 per cent, from around $1.54 billion to around $2.2 billion. It now accounts for about a third of all Swiss exports to Russia. This is because medicines are considered humanitarian goods, and hence it doesn’t fall under the ambit of sanctions. Switzerland hosts many large pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis and Roche. “Sales in Russia were driven by a number of factors, including the influx of patients who had delayed medical treatment due to the pandemic,” Novartis told the paper while talking about the rise of pharma exports to Russia. “One factor was the stockpiling by patients and hospitals in anticipation of possible bottlenecks,” the company added, regarding the war. Between March 2022 and February 2023, Switzerland exported goods worth $3.2 billion to Russia, which was marginally lower than $3.8 billion in the previous year. “Given the long list of goods that can no longer be shipped to the warring country, the impact seems soberingly small,” the weekly said. Though it has honoured EU sanctions on Russia, Switzerland remained strictly neutral. It has also been facing pressure from Kyiv and its allies to allow countries holding Swiss-made weaponry to re-export it to Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Swiss exports to Russia dropped marginally, while pharma registered strong growth despite sanctions 

Switzerland's Federal Prosecutor has opened an investigation into the state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse&nbsp;by UBS Group, the office of the attorney general said on Sunday.

The prosecutor, based in the Swiss capital Bern, is looking into potential breaches of the country's criminal law by government officials, regulators and executives at the two banks, which&nbsp;agreed on an emergency merger&nbsp;last month to avoid a meltdown in the country's financial system.

There were "numerous aspects of events around Credit Suisse" that warranted investigation and which needed to be analysed to "identify any criminal offences that could fall within the competence of the [prosecutor]", it said in a statement.

"The Office of the Attorney General wants to proactively fulfil its mandate and responsibility to contribute to a clean Swiss financial centre and has set up a monitoring system so that it can take action immediately on any issues that fall within its area of responsibility," it added.

It gave no indication of any specific aspects of the merger agreement it might look into or how long the investigation might last.

Both UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment.

<h2 data-testid="Heading">Out of ordinary</h2>

"It's astonishing that the prosecutor would comment," said Mark Pieth, professor emeritus of the University of Basel, where he has taught criminal law and criminology. But the rescue "is so out of the ordinary that they had to say something."

Pieth said the prosecutor could be probing breaches of secrecy provisions by officials, or the trading on inside information, adding that the wiping out of some bondholders as planned under the deal is also problematic.

In the deal announced on March 19 and orchestrated by the Swiss government, the central bank and market regulator, UBS would acquire rival Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion). The bank is trying to close the deal by as soon as the end of April, sources have told Reuters.

The Swiss public and politicians have voiced concerns about the level of state support, with nearly 260 billion Swiss francs in liquidity and guarantees offered by the government and Swiss National Bank.

A poll of Swiss economists&nbsp;found that nearly half think the takeover of Credit Suisse was not the best solution, and warned that the situation had dented Switzerland's reputation as a banking centre.

The takeover, which was also designed to help secure financial stability globally during a period of turmoil, has sparked concern among critics about the size of the merged bank, with $1.6 trillion in assets and more than 120,000 staff worldwide.

Up to 30% of staff&nbsp;could lose their jobs due to the takeover, according to an unnamed senior UBS manager quoted in Swiss media.

Switzerland's Federal Prosecutor has opened an investigation into the state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS Group, the office of the attorney general said on Sunday.

Switzerland's Federal Prosecutor has opened an investigation into the state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS Group, the office of the attorney general said on Sunday. The prosecutor, based in the Swiss capital Bern, is looking into potential breaches of the country's criminal law by government officials, regulators and executives at the two banks, which agreed on an emergency merger last month to avoid a meltdown in the country's financial system. There were "numerous aspects of events around Credit Suisse" that warranted investigation and which needed to be analysed to "identify any criminal offences that could fall within the competence of the [prosecutor]", it said in a statement. "The Office of the Attorney General wants to proactively fulfil its mandate and responsibility to contribute to a clean Swiss financial centre and has set up a monitoring system so that it can take action immediately on any issues that fall within its area of responsibility," it added. It gave no indication of any specific aspects of the merger agreement it might look into or how long the investigation might last. Both UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment. Out of ordinary "It's astonishing that the prosecutor would comment," said Mark Pieth, professor emeritus of the University of Basel, where he has taught criminal law and criminology. But the rescue "is so out of the ordinary that they had to say something." Pieth said the prosecutor could be probing breaches of secrecy provisions by officials, or the trading on inside information, adding that the wiping out of some bondholders as planned under the deal is also problematic. In the deal announced on March 19 and orchestrated by the Swiss government, the central bank and market regulator, UBS would acquire rival Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion). The bank is trying to close the deal by as soon as the end of April, sources have told Reuters. The Swiss public and politicians have voiced concerns about the level of state support, with nearly 260 billion Swiss francs in liquidity and guarantees offered by the government and Swiss National Bank. A poll of Swiss economists found that nearly half think the takeover of Credit Suisse was not the best solution, and warned that the situation had dented Switzerland's reputation as a banking centre. The takeover, which was also designed to help secure financial stability globally during a period of turmoil, has sparked concern among critics about the size of the merged bank, with $1.6 trillion in assets and more than 120,000 staff worldwide. Up to 30% of staff could lose their jobs due to the takeover, according to an unnamed senior UBS manager quoted in Swiss media.

Swiss prosecutor probes state-backed Credit Suisse takeover of UBS

Switzerland faced two separate train derailment incidents on Friday in which several people are reported to have been injured. Both derailments took place in the northwestern part of the country located in the European Alps.&nbsp;

In one incident, the rear carriages of a train derailed, while the other derailment took place around 40 kilometres away. A Bern canton police spokeswoman told news agency&nbsp;AFP: "There are injuries in both trains", adding that police, firefighters and ambulance workers were still at the scene.

The first incident happened in the lakeside town of Luscherz, 110km northwest of the capital Bern, at around 4:30 pm (1430 GMT), the Bern cantonal police said. The train was travelling between Luscherz and Bienne.

"A train derailed. The rear part of the train fell on the right side," a Bern cantonal police spokeswoman told AFP.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-worlds-longest-passenger-train-passes-through-swiss-alps-529880">WATCH: World’s longest passenger train passes through Swiss Alps</a>

"There are several injured," she said, without being able to give more details on the condition of those involved.

"Rescue interventions -- police, ambulance and firefighters -- are still in progress," she added.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: UN report accuses Switzerland of racial discrimination

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Police said they do not yet know why the train derailed.

Regional rail operator Aare Seeland Mobil said that services were cancelled on the line due to "a derailment caused by a storm", with the duration of the disruption "unknown". The second incident took place around 20 minutes later at Buren zum Hof.

The Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn regional rail operator said some services had been suspended "as a result of the storm".

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Switzerland faced two separate train derailment incidents on Friday in which several people are reported to have been injured. Both derailments took place in the northwestern part of the country located in the European Alps.

Switzerland faced two separate train derailment incidents on Friday in which several people are reported to have been injured. Both derailments took place in the northwestern part of the country located in the European Alps. In one incident, the rear carriages of a train derailed, while the other derailment took place around 40 kilometres away. A Bern canton police spokeswoman told news agency AFP: "There are injuries in both trains", adding that police, firefighters and ambulance workers were still at the scene. The first incident happened in the lakeside town of Luscherz, 110km northwest of the capital Bern, at around 4:30 pm (1430 GMT), the Bern cantonal police said. The train was travelling between Luscherz and Bienne. "A train derailed. The rear part of the train fell on the right side," a Bern cantonal police spokeswoman told AFP. ALSO READ | WATCH: World’s longest passenger train passes through Swiss Alps "There are several injured," she said, without being able to give more details on the condition of those involved. "Rescue interventions -- police, ambulance and firefighters -- are still in progress," she added. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas: UN report accuses Switzerland of racial discrimination × Police said they do not yet know why the train derailed. Regional rail operator Aare Seeland Mobil said that services were cancelled on the line due to "a derailment caused by a storm", with the duration of the disruption "unknown". The second incident took place around 20 minutes later at Buren zum Hof. The Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn regional rail operator said some services had been suspended "as a result of the storm". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Switzerland: Several hurt in two separate train derailment incidents; rescue ops underway

IN PICS | 67-million-year-old T-Rex skeleton on display ahead of auction

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is hearing climate cases against the governments of France and Switzerland over the alleged failings to protect the environment. On Wednesday, the ECHR said the case against Switzerland is based on a complaint by the Club of Climate Seniors (an association of elderly people) concerned with the consequences of global warming on their living conditions and health, the news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

The association, backed by Greenpeace Switzerland, has accused Swiss authorities of various climate change failings which they say amount to the violation of the government's obligation to protect life and homes and families of the citizens.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-climate-change-what-are-its-consequences-a-lowdown-574727">Explained: What is climate change? What are its consequences? | A lowdown</a>

Jessica Simor, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said that her clients were already suffering the effects of climate change that Switzerland was not doing enough to stop. Simor added that temperatures were rising twice as quickly in the country as the global average.&nbsp;

Alain Chablais, representing the Swiss government, told the ECHR that it was baseless to claim or suggest that the government was doing nothing. Chablais added that the ECHR had no business becoming the place where national climate protection policy is decided, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the case against France was brought by Damien Careme, the former mayor of Grande-Synthe, who argued that the government failed to meet its obligation to protect life by taking insufficient steps to prevent climate change.&nbsp;

When Careme was serving as the mayor, he brought the case to the French judiciary not only on behalf of his town but also on his own behalf, saying climate change was raising the risk of his home being flooded. In 2021, the country's highest administrative court ruled in favour of Grande-Synthe against the central government.&nbsp;

However, the court threw out the individual case brought by Careme, which he then took to the ECHR.

Speaking to the news agency on Wednesday, Corinne Lepag, one of Careme's lawyers, said the stakes were extremely high. Lepag, the former ecology minister of France, said, "European court recognises that climate failings violate the rights of individuals to life and a normal family life, then that becomes precedent in all of the council's member states and potentially in the whole world."

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is hearing climate cases against the governments of France and Switzerland over the alleged failings to protect the environment.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is hearing climate cases against the governments of France and Switzerland over the alleged failings to protect the environment. On Wednesday, the ECHR said the case against Switzerland is based on a complaint by the Club of Climate Seniors (an association of elderly people) concerned with the consequences of global warming on their living conditions and health, the news agency AFP reported. The association, backed by Greenpeace Switzerland, has accused Swiss authorities of various climate change failings which they say amount to the violation of the government's obligation to protect life and homes and families of the citizens. ALSO READ | Explained: What is climate change? What are its consequences? | A lowdown Jessica Simor, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said that her clients were already suffering the effects of climate change that Switzerland was not doing enough to stop. Simor added that temperatures were rising twice as quickly in the country as the global average. Alain Chablais, representing the Swiss government, told the ECHR that it was baseless to claim or suggest that the government was doing nothing. Chablais added that the ECHR had no business becoming the place where national climate protection policy is decided, AFP reported. Meanwhile, the case against France was brought by Damien Careme, the former mayor of Grande-Synthe, who argued that the government failed to meet its obligation to protect life by taking insufficient steps to prevent climate change. When Careme was serving as the mayor, he brought the case to the French judiciary not only on behalf of his town but also on his own behalf, saying climate change was raising the risk of his home being flooded. In 2021, the country's highest administrative court ruled in favour of Grande-Synthe against the central government. However, the court threw out the individual case brought by Careme, which he then took to the ECHR. Speaking to the news agency on Wednesday, Corinne Lepag, one of Careme's lawyers, said the stakes were extremely high. Lepag, the former ecology minister of France, said, "European court recognises that climate failings violate the rights of individuals to life and a normal family life, then that becomes precedent in all of the council's member states and potentially in the whole world." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

European human rights court hears climate cases against France, Switzerland

Swiss professional skier Andri Ragetti, in a new video posted by him, performed famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration mid-air.&nbsp;Ragetti, who is known for this many stunts, is a huge football fan and this time he chose CR7's Siiuuu as his new act.

The video, posted by Ragetti on Monday, shows the freestyle skier maneuvering on snow before being air-borne and doing the 'Siiuuu' celebration. The video further shows Ragetti doing a complete turn as well.

He captioned the video, writing, “SIIIUUUU!Ronaldo celebration on skis!” Have a look at the video here:

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SIIIUUUU!🗣️ 
Ronaldo celebration on skis!😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ronaldo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ronaldo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cr7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cr7</a> <a href="https://t.co/9WsQGAQ03o">pic.twitter.com/9WsQGAQ03o</a>
— Andri ragettli (@Andriragettli) <a href="https://twitter.com/Andriragettli/status/1632814394424938497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The skier is also&nbsp;a fan of football club Real Madrid and last year he had gone viral for a video which even Los Blancos had shared on its Instagram handle.

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Notably, Portugal and Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo does the same celebration after scoring a goal. Ronaldo, however, didn't have many chances to do that in recent times as he had a moderate year.

WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-ronaldo-invites-young-boy-who-lost-his-father-in-syria-and-turkey-earthquake-to-al-nassr-tie-569461">Ronaldo invites young boy, who lost his father in Syria and Turkey earthquake, to Al-Nassr tie</a>

The footballer star although made the news when he invited a young boy, who is his fan, to one of his games in Saudi Arabia. The boy had lost his father in the deadly Syria and Turkey earthquake.

Ronaldo, who holds the record for maximum number of goals at the international level, met the young boy -- named Nabil Saeed from Syria -- and his friend, spoke and invited him for Al-Nassr's home match. His adorable gesture has won hearts on social media platforms.

At present, Al-Nassr is at the top spot in the overall standings in the Saudi Pro League with 14 wins from 19 games. They next face Al-Ittihand on March 09.

In 2022, he led Portugal in the Qatar World Cup but the national side bowed out in the quarter-finals. However, things have changed for him since joining the Riyadh-based club, Al-Nassr.

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Swiss professional skier Andri Ragetti, in a new video posted by him, performed famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration mid-air. Ragetti, who is known for this many stunts, is a huge football fan and this time he chose CR7's Siiuuu as his new act.

Swiss professional skier Andri Ragetti, in a new video posted by him, performed famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration mid-air. Ragetti, who is known for this many stunts, is a huge football fan and this time he chose CR7's Siiuuu as his new act. The video, posted by Ragetti on Monday, shows the freestyle skier maneuvering on snow before being air-borne and doing the 'Siiuuu' celebration. The video further shows Ragetti doing a complete turn as well. He captioned the video, writing, “SIIIUUUU!Ronaldo celebration on skis!” Have a look at the video here: SIIIUUUU!🗣️ Ronaldo celebration on skis!😂#Ronaldo #Cr7 pic.twitter.com/9WsQGAQ03o — Andri ragettli (@Andriragettli) March 6, 2023 × The skier is also a fan of football club Real Madrid and last year he had gone viral for a video which even Los Blancos had shared on its Instagram handle. Notably, Portugal and Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo does the same celebration after scoring a goal. Ronaldo, however, didn't have many chances to do that in recent times as he had a moderate year. WATCH: Ronaldo invites young boy, who lost his father in Syria and Turkey earthquake, to Al-Nassr tie The footballer star although made the news when he invited a young boy, who is his fan, to one of his games in Saudi Arabia. The boy had lost his father in the deadly Syria and Turkey earthquake. Ronaldo, who holds the record for maximum number of goals at the international level, met the young boy -- named Nabil Saeed from Syria -- and his friend, spoke and invited him for Al-Nassr's home match. His adorable gesture has won hearts on social media platforms. At present, Al-Nassr is at the top spot in the overall standings in the Saudi Pro League with 14 wins from 19 games. They next face Al-Ittihand on March 09. In 2022, he led Portugal in the Qatar World Cup but the national side bowed out in the quarter-finals. However, things have changed for him since joining the Riyadh-based club, Al-Nassr. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

INCREDIBLE: Swiss skier Andri Ragetti does Ronaldo's SIIUUU celebration mid-air | WATCH

Singapore became the second member country of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ratify its agreement which sets global rules that ban harmful fishing subsidies in a bid to protect the world’s oceans, on Friday (February 10). In a statement, the country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said that Singapore’s permanent representative ambassador Tan Hung Seng has formally submitted an instrument of acceptance of the WTO’s agreement on fisheries subsidies to Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, Switzerland.&nbsp;

The submission makes Singapore the second member nation after Switzerland which ratified the agreement in January and the first coastal state to do so. It is also the first multilateral trade agreement that focuses on environmental sustainability which requires the acceptance of two-thirds of WTO’s 164 members to come into effect. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets curbs on harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world's fish stocks, said the WTO, in a statement.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/wion-insights/what-did-wto-ministerial-agree-on-and-why-are-these-agreements-historic-489400">What did WTO ministerial agree on? And why are these agreements historic?&nbsp;</a>

Additionally, the multilateral agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as bans support for fishing overfished stocks and calls for an end to subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas. “Singapore's formal acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is an important step towards its entry into force. It adds to the diversity of economies needed for the collective effort to uphold ocean sustainability worldwide,” said the WTO director-general.&nbsp;

She also called Singapore a “stalwart supporter” of the multilateral trading system and an active participant in both the fisheries subsidies negotiations and ongoing discussions on trade and the environment. Notably, the agreement also recognises the needs of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) and will establish a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them end harmful fisheries subsidies and support sustainable fishing practices.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fisheries-subsidies-divides-wto-members-487919">Fisheries subsidies divides WTO members</a> 
 
So far, countries like Japan, Australia and the European Union have pledged millions to help developing and least-developed countries implement the obligations of the agreement. Subsequently, in a post on Facebook, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said, “As a firm supporter of the rules-based multilateral trading system, Singapore welcomes this landmark agreement – the first WTO agreement with an environmental focus.”&nbsp; 
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Singapore became the second member country of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ratify its agreement which sets global rules that ban harmful fishing subsidies in a bid to protect the world’s oceans, on Friday (February 10).

Singapore became the second member country of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ratify its agreement which sets global rules that ban harmful fishing subsidies in a bid to protect the world’s oceans, on Friday (February 10). In a statement, the country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said that Singapore’s permanent representative ambassador Tan Hung Seng has formally submitted an instrument of acceptance of the WTO’s agreement on fisheries subsidies to Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, Switzerland. The submission makes Singapore the second member nation after Switzerland which ratified the agreement in January and the first coastal state to do so. It is also the first multilateral trade agreement that focuses on environmental sustainability which requires the acceptance of two-thirds of WTO’s 164 members to come into effect. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets curbs on harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world's fish stocks, said the WTO, in a statement. ALSO READ | What did WTO ministerial agree on? And why are these agreements historic? Additionally, the multilateral agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as bans support for fishing overfished stocks and calls for an end to subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas. “Singapore's formal acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is an important step towards its entry into force. It adds to the diversity of economies needed for the collective effort to uphold ocean sustainability worldwide,” said the WTO director-general. She also called Singapore a “stalwart supporter” of the multilateral trading system and an active participant in both the fisheries subsidies negotiations and ongoing discussions on trade and the environment. Notably, the agreement also recognises the needs of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) and will establish a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them end harmful fisheries subsidies and support sustainable fishing practices. ALSO WATCH | Fisheries subsidies divides WTO members So far, countries like Japan, Australia and the European Union have pledged millions to help developing and least-developed countries implement the obligations of the agreement. Subsequently, in a post on Facebook, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said, “As a firm supporter of the rules-based multilateral trading system, Singapore welcomes this landmark agreement – the first WTO agreement with an environmental focus.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Singapore becomes second member country of WTO to sign agreement banning harmful fishing subsidies

The people living in the Swiss canton of Valais have been habituated to seeing snow-clad mountainsides in winter and ones filled with edelweiss flowers in summer.&nbsp;However, with the intensifying global warming, the slopes seem to be getting strangely colonised by an invasive species – cacti, commonly known to survive in hot and dry regions.

According to the authorities, species of cactus which belong to the genus Opuntia, commonly called prickly pears, have been proliferating in various parts of Valais and encroaching on the region's natural reserves and becoming a threat to biodiversity.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-propose-mining-moon-dust-spreading-around-earth-to-fight-global-warming-560270">Scientists propose mining Moon dust, using it to shield Earth from harsh Sun to curb global warming</a>

“A lover of dry and hot climates, this invasive and non-native plant is not welcome in the perimeter of prairies and dry pastures of national importance,” stated the municipality of Fully in the Rhone valley, in the press release issued to announce the uprooting campaign.

Opuntia species and similar kinds of cacti have also grown on a few hills around Sion, the capital of Valais, where it is estimated that Opuntia plants now fall in 23-30 per cent part of the low vegetation cover.

Their growth has also been reported in neighbouring Alpine regions, which include Grisons and Ticino in Switzerland, and Italy's Aosta valley and Valtellina.

Biologist Yann Triponez, who works in the nature protection service of the canton of Valais, said, “In some parts of Valais, we estimate that the cacti can occupy one-third of the available surface.”

He stated that Opuntia has been growing in Valais at least since the late 18th century when it travelled all the way from North America.

WATCH | Climate crisis puts marine ecosystem in peril

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However, the authorities feel that the warmer climate in the Alps, longer vegetation periods and declining snow cover have been creating ideal environmental conditions for them to grow.

“These species bear -10C or -15C without any problem,” Peter Oliver Baumgartner, a retired geology professor, said.

“But they want to be in a dry place and don’t like snow cover,” he added. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

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The people living in the Swiss canton of Valais have been habituated to seeing snow-clad mountainsides in winter and ones filled with edelweiss flowers in summer.

The people living in the Swiss canton of Valais have been habituated to seeing snow-clad mountainsides in winter and ones filled with edelweiss flowers in summer. However, with the intensifying global warming, the slopes seem to be getting strangely colonised by an invasive species – cacti, commonly known to survive in hot and dry regions. According to the authorities, species of cactus which belong to the genus Opuntia, commonly called prickly pears, have been proliferating in various parts of Valais and encroaching on the region's natural reserves and becoming a threat to biodiversity. ALSO READ | Scientists propose mining Moon dust, using it to shield Earth from harsh Sun to curb global warming “A lover of dry and hot climates, this invasive and non-native plant is not welcome in the perimeter of prairies and dry pastures of national importance,” stated the municipality of Fully in the Rhone valley, in the press release issued to announce the uprooting campaign. Opuntia species and similar kinds of cacti have also grown on a few hills around Sion, the capital of Valais, where it is estimated that Opuntia plants now fall in 23-30 per cent part of the low vegetation cover. Their growth has also been reported in neighbouring Alpine regions, which include Grisons and Ticino in Switzerland, and Italy's Aosta valley and Valtellina. Biologist Yann Triponez, who works in the nature protection service of the canton of Valais, said, “In some parts of Valais, we estimate that the cacti can occupy one-third of the available surface.” He stated that Opuntia has been growing in Valais at least since the late 18th century when it travelled all the way from North America. WATCH | Climate crisis puts marine ecosystem in peril However, the authorities feel that the warmer climate in the Alps, longer vegetation periods and declining snow cover have been creating ideal environmental conditions for them to grow. “These species bear -10C or -15C without any problem,” Peter Oliver Baumgartner, a retired geology professor, said. “But they want to be in a dry place and don’t like snow cover,” he added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Global warming: Cacti colonise Swiss mountainsides as snow cover recedes, threaten biodiversity

Green energy plays a key role in the energy transition due to its low environmental impact. Green energy helps fight global warming by not producing greenhouse gases or increasing carbon emissions. Switzerland is looking to maximise its green energy production in the winter months.

Switzerland looking to maximise green energy production

Digital transformation is a dominating theme at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, companies are betting on new technologies including, artificial intelligence and metaverse to drive growth.

WION at Davos 2023: 'Tech giants turning cautiously optimistic,' says Publicis Sapient CEO Vaz

On Thursday, 20-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg spoke on the sidelines in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and she accused those present at the summit of the global climate crisis.

Greta Thunberg discusses climate crisis in Davos; activists slam new fossil fuel investments

After the party leadership's productive first day at Davos, the Labour Party moved closer to being the potential government-in-waiting that the polls predict. In their efforts to show that the opposition is "open to business," Labour leader Keir Starmer and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves charmed British business leaders and bankers.

Switzerland: Starmer promoted Labour's green plan for UK at Davos 2023

As the United States and China grapple with a series of deferring but intertwined geopolitical challenges, a landmark meeting in Zurich in Switzerland US Treasury Janet Yellen met Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

US-China meet at Zurich: US Treasury Janet Yellen meets Chinese Vice Premier Liu He | WION

The annual summit of the World Economic Forum is taking place in Davos, Switzerland. The forum has called on leaders from across the globe to address immediate economic energy, food crisis as well as the ongoing climate crisis. Watch this report to know more.

WION Climate Tracker | Davos Summit 2023: Climate change on agenda at the Summit

Switzerland's ambassador to India Dr. Ralf Heckner has backed strong trading and political ties with India hoping that the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade talk will "accelerate" soon. European Free Trade Association is a free trade area between 4 countries--Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.&nbsp;

Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Heckner said, the Swiss "state secretary for economic affairs will visit Delhi at the beginning of February and both sides will look into negotiations and try to figure out how to accelerate the negotiations and try to wrap them up." He also indicated that the President of the Swiss confederation will be visiting India later this year and for this, both sides are in contact.

On the issue of illicit money issue, he pointed to the 2018 India-Switzerland automatic exchange pact and on the basis of that "on a yearly basis between September-October, both countries are exchanging information on bank accounts". Switzerland, for the first time in its history also became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a time frame of 2 years on 1st January 2023. The ambassador listed priorities for his country including peace amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Asked about India's bid for UNSC, he said, "India is now aspiring for the next non-permanent membership of the security council. We will look into that very favourably". Other than the key aspiration to be a permanent member of the UNSC in the long term, India has also bid to be a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2028-29 time frame. The ambassador also spoke on reforms of the UNSC Sanctions regime, tourism and other ties.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: How will you characterize India, Switzerland ties? This year both countries are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2023.&nbsp;

Dr. Ralf Heckner:&nbsp;Maybe before 2023, let's talk about 2022 from where we are coming and where we would like to go when it comes to our bilateral relations. Our bilateral relations were on steroids. We had a number of high-ranking officials from Switzerland, we had the minister of finance, trade, innovation, President of the Swiss national bank in Mumbai. He took 3-4 days out of his schedule to have a discussion on Fintech and meeting the governor of the Reserve bank of India and in the last 6 months of last year, we had 12 delegations coming to town. That is the interest from the Swiss side, but there was also good and important interest when it comes to the Indian side. 
 
We had the trade minister in Davos, Geneva. We had the health minister in Geneva too, both met counterparts on Swiss soil and we had an important railway delegation. If you look at last year, we discussed G20, we discussed fintech, digitization, trade, innovation, and railways, so a huge number of issues were discussed at the highest level. For me, it was important that our people-to-people relations were up and running. I think my colleagues at the visa centre here in the Swiss embassy did a good job. Some of my ambassadors here had to excuse themselves over Visa not delivered, or not delivered on time or not delivered at all. I received praise from the external ministry. Our people-to-people relations are very high, several visa applications were dealt with. People can fly throughout the year, connecting Delhi, Mumbai to Zurich. We got a green light from civil aviation authorities by the end of 2021. Also, Zurich airport is a functioning airport on European soil, things that made Switzerland an attractive destination. 
 
We are very positioned for 2023, I would say we have 3 important things we would like to move forward. First I would like to see a very high level of bilateral relations accelerated, 75 years of friendship. India had chosen Switzerland as the very first country India signed a friendship treaty after independence. So on August 14, 1948, we had the first friendship treaty of India with any given country of India and that was Switzerland. If you look at the world, it is important that friendly countries work together and we celebrate our friendship and cater to our bilateral relations. And then, when it comes to getting things, there are two&nbsp;things. I was very much impressed last year to see how India is growing and climbing up the ladder when it comes to the world innovation index. India's trajectory is very clear on the world innovation index, ambition is also to be among the top 20. Switzerland is also the most innovative country according to the world innovation index and has been for the last 10 years. The more India turns into an innovative country, the more interest India and Switzerland are covering when it comes to innovation. I would like to see our innovation relationship being directed in a more strategic way. 
 
We would like to create a platform of the best universities, companies and align the scientific policies of India and Switzerland accordingly. This will be the first time Switzerland will try to create an innovative platform of that kind worldwide. If we are able to do that in India, we will be able to replicate that in 20 other states. That is the innovation trajectory we have. When it comes to innovation, the more innovative India is becoming the more intellectual property rights will be important for India. That is also something where I see convergence. A more innovative India means, India that attaches importance to intellectual property rights, something that Switzerland also attaches as a small country with an innovative community. 
 
There is also convergence happening. The most important thing will also be that our trade relations will be accelerated. We have been negotiating with India for a number of years, we have seen India is open for business when it comes to trade deals. The proof of the pudding was given last year when India had pacts with Australia and UAE. Switzerland together with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the European Free trade association countries, have a clear ambition to accelerate the trade negotiation. For that, the state secretary for economic affairs will visit Delhi at the beginning of February and both sides will look into negotiations and try to figure out how to accelerate the negotiations and try to wrap them up. So those are the three things, to cater to friendly countries which are incredibly important to the current international situation. Then moving our innovation relations to a more strategic level and accelerating our trade relations.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Can we expect any high-level visits this year? 
 
Dr. Ralf Heckner: Actually we are expecting the President of the Swiss confederation to come to town. We are in contact to make this happen. This would for sure be the highlight of this year and be part of celebrating 75 years of our friendship but also a moment to move our economic relations forward. What is the potential of a trade deal as well, because if you understand the potential of a trade deal, you will also have the ambition to wrap up a trade deal. So Switzerland is number 20 when it comes to worldwide economies. Our GDP is 900 billion dollars, India's GDP is 3.2 trillion dollars. So three and a half times bigger than Switzerland. We are one of the most important financial centres, we are one of the most important innovative countries. This is just to set the stages. 
 
Let's talk about the numbers, the potential we have. There are 330 Swiss businesses physically present in India. In China there are 1000, so that means we have triple the presence of Swiss companies in India, if we take China as one of the reference points. In China, we were able to wrap up a free trade pact years back, including one on intellectual property. If you have a look at the US, which is the biggest economy in the world, we are one of the biggest countries to put FDI in the US. We are talking about 300 billion US dollars, invested in the US. We are talking about 10 billion US dollars invested in India from Switzerland. In the US its, 300 billion. Only the research and development investment from Switzerland into the US is 10 billion US dollars. So sky's the limit when it comes to the potential of Swiss businesses here and when it comes to foreign direct investment into India. So once you grasp the potential, the ambition to wrap up trade deals will come with it as well.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: India is the President of the G20 grouping this year, and is inviting Switzerland to take part in the Sherpa track. Your comments on that...

Dr. Ralf Heckner: We are very grateful to the Indian government that Switzerland is invited again as a permanent invitee to the finance track. We have been part of the finance track since 2016. It can be explained, we are one of the biggest financial centres and I think what we bring to the table is the know-how to new technology, Fintech. We are sharing that with India. I referred to the visit of the President of the Swiss national bank with a keen interest in India's fintech space. One thing I see, is the major contribution of Switzerland is sustainability. PM Modi is very much focused on turning India into a green country when it comes to energy and the economy. The Swiss govt also had a vision, a vision for Switzerland's financial sector, to turn into a sustainable international financial sector. We are not talking about the billions of dollars that will be invested in climate change adaptation, and mitigation like at COP27 but we are talking about trillions of dollars in Swiss pension funds, insurance, and banks, that would be invested in sustainable businesses and solutions. There we have a huge opportunity to work with India. 
 
It is the right thing to have Switzerland at the table when it comes to the G20 finance track. I think overall, and the most important thing when it comes to India's G20 presidency and Switzerland is the focus of India on peace. The PM wrote an OP-ED and made it clear that this is not a time of war and made it clear we are talking about "One family, one world, One future". If you look at Switzerland's security council priorities-- we are for the first time in our history non-permanent members of the security council--the number one priority is sustainable peace. Whenever war breaks out in the last 10-20 years, there is no peace that follows. The most important thing is we keep peace where it is and then try to foster peace where war is. This is an overarching alignment where the objectives of India's G20 presidency and we would like to achieve in New York.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: India has been focusing on automatic exchange of information when it comes to illicit money. On the bilateral aspect if you can talk about that?

Dr. Ralf Heckner: So, in 2018 India and Switzerland signed a pact on automatic exchange of bank information. So on a yearly basis between September-October, both countries are exchanging information on bank accounts. With that, the whole issue of banking information being exchanged is being catered for. I have been here in India for 2 years now, and I have never heard anything that is of importance when it comes to our relations and transparency in the banking sector. So no clouds on the horizon in our bilateral ties on the contrary. But it was dealt with in 2018.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What are Switzerland's priorities when it comes to its non-permanent time frame at the UNSC which has just started. You have already talked about peace, but what are the other priorities?

Dr. Ralf Heckner: Other Priorities are very Swiss priorities based on our foreign policy priorities. One is the protection of civilians in armed conflict, Switzerland attaches importance to protection and international humanitarian law with the founding of the International Committee of Red Cross in the 19th century. Unfortunately, if you look at the world in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, the protection of civilians is really an issue. This is our second priority. The 3rd priority will be the link between climate change and security and the 4th one, very much in line with the reform objectives of India. We would like to see an effective and transparent security council.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Reforms of the UNSC are also something India has been talking about, what is your view on how UNSC should reflect the current geopolitical realities and will you support India's bid for a permanent seat at a reformed UNSC?

Dr. Ralf Heckner: Already the fact that we support India's candidacy for 2021-22 security council membership is an indication, India is now aspiring for the next non-permanent membership of the security council. We will look into that very favourably. I think Switzerland and India are coming from 2 different sides to the same issue, that is the reform of the security council and international institutions as a whole. We are trying to change things in the current circumstances and hoping and working for a real reform. For that reason, we are talking about the effectiveness and transparency of the security council. 
 
If you look at what Switzerland has pushed forward and moved forward in the last years in that specific file, we have made it clear that we are of the opinion that P5 with a veto power should refrain from using the veto power whenever they are involved in a war. I think Ukraine is an example why Switzerland's proposal for a restrained use of a veto power is the right one. When it comes to India, once the conditions are ripe, I am sure Switzerland will look very favourable into India's candidacy. If you look at the world, it is very clear that India is an important country growing in influence and Switzerland attaches a lot of importance to our bilateral relations and which direction it will go.

Sidhant Sibal: What is your view on the reform of the sanctions regime? Sanctions regimes looked politicised and China has blocked the listing of Pakistan-based terrorists.

Dr. Ralf Heckner: I cannot tell you how we will vote, once things are on the table of my colleagues in the Swiss government in New York. But Switzerland is adhering to UN Sanctions, sanctions being taken by UNSC and that is clear. So Switzerland is implementing sanctions of the security council and will do so in the future. 
 
When it comes to sanctions and terrorism, just have a look at how Switzerland, decisions last year. India invited a number of countries to an extraordinary session of the UNSC sanctions committee. We were there with one person from New York and another from Berne. This shows the importance we attach to the sanctions regime and then no money for the terror conference, we had the deputy state secretary of financial affairs in town for those 2 days. Our message was a clear one that we would like to see all international states adhering and implementing the international standards when it comes to fight against terrorism. They are very much aligned with India and working with India on one of the priorities of India's security council membership 2021-2022.&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Switzerland has had a cultural impact due to movies, how do you see it? There seems to be a lull in that, but how do you plan to take it forward?

Dr. Ralf Heckner: I am so impressed to see how one person, Mr Chopra and a friend of his, a Swiss farmer in Berne, were at the beginning of an incredible people to people relationship. The fact that the biggest visa centre worldwide of our network is in India, shows you the vibrancy of our people to people relations. It is not lull, if you look at 2 things–shooting a move in Switzerland that is still being done which is being done in a lot of other countries and then there is social media. Switzerland tourism is working very much with popular figures in India, Shah Rukh Khan or now the Olympic gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra. That is how we try to keep the attention level of our Indian friends when it comes to visiting Switzerland as a tourist destination. But what I think is important is that Indian people, Indian administration understand what Switzerland has to offer beyond the beautiful landscape and cable cars and trains, that is our country is the most innovative country on our planet. 
 
If you want to tap into the most innovative country on this planet, you can do that in Switzerland, if you want to have a relationship with one of the biggest FDI investors, that is Switzerland. That is something people do not see that much. The economic muscle Switzerland has as an FDI investor and also when it comes to innovation and research and that is where I would like to direct the attention of the Indian public but I am very happy Indian tourists are visiting Switzerland and by the way a lot of Swiss tourists are also visiting India. Before the pandemic, My friends in the Indian embassy in Berne were issuing 40-50,000 visas so it's a two-way relationship. 
 
&nbsp;

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Switzerland's ambassador to India Dr. Ralf Heckner has backed strong trading and political ties with India hoping that the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade talk will "accelerate" soon.

Switzerland's ambassador to India Dr. Ralf Heckner has backed strong trading and political ties with India hoping that the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade talk will "accelerate" soon. European Free Trade Association is a free trade area between 4 countries--Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Heckner said, the Swiss "state secretary for economic affairs will visit Delhi at the beginning of February and both sides will look into negotiations and try to figure out how to accelerate the negotiations and try to wrap them up." He also indicated that the President of the Swiss confederation will be visiting India later this year and for this, both sides are in contact. On the issue of illicit money issue, he pointed to the 2018 India-Switzerland automatic exchange pact and on the basis of that "on a yearly basis between September-October, both countries are exchanging information on bank accounts". Switzerland, for the first time in its history also became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a time frame of 2 years on 1st January 2023. The ambassador listed priorities for his country including peace amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Asked about India's bid for UNSC, he said, "India is now aspiring for the next non-permanent membership of the security council. We will look into that very favourably". Other than the key aspiration to be a permanent member of the UNSC in the long term, India has also bid to be a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2028-29 time frame. The ambassador also spoke on reforms of the UNSC Sanctions regime, tourism and other ties. Sidhant Sibal: How will you characterize India, Switzerland ties? This year both countries are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2023. Dr. Ralf Heckner: Maybe before 2023, let's talk about 2022 from where we are coming and where we would like to go when it comes to our bilateral relations. Our bilateral relations were on steroids. We had a number of high-ranking officials from Switzerland, we had the minister of finance, trade, innovation, President of the Swiss national bank in Mumbai. He took 3-4 days out of his schedule to have a discussion on Fintech and meeting the governor of the Reserve bank of India and in the last 6 months of last year, we had 12 delegations coming to town. That is the interest from the Swiss side, but there was also good and important interest when it comes to the Indian side. We had the trade minister in Davos, Geneva. We had the health minister in Geneva too, both met counterparts on Swiss soil and we had an important railway delegation. If you look at last year, we discussed G20, we discussed fintech, digitization, trade, innovation, and railways, so a huge number of issues were discussed at the highest level. For me, it was important that our people-to-people relations were up and running. I think my colleagues at the visa centre here in the Swiss embassy did a good job. Some of my ambassadors here had to excuse themselves over Visa not delivered, or not delivered on time or not delivered at all. I received praise from the external ministry. Our people-to-people relations are very high, several visa applications were dealt with. People can fly throughout the year, connecting Delhi, Mumbai to Zurich. We got a green light from civil aviation authorities by the end of 2021. Also, Zurich airport is a functioning airport on European soil, things that made Switzerland an attractive destination. We are very positioned for 2023, I would say we have 3 important things we would like to move forward. First I would like to see a very high level of bilateral relations accelerated, 75 years of friendship. India had chosen Switzerland as the very first country India signed a friendship treaty after independence. So on August 14, 1948, we had the first friendship treaty of India with any given country of India and that was Switzerland. If you look at the world, it is important that friendly countries work together and we celebrate our friendship and cater to our bilateral relations. And then, when it comes to getting things, there are two things. I was very much impressed last year to see how India is growing and climbing up the ladder when it comes to the world innovation index. India's trajectory is very clear on the world innovation index, ambition is also to be among the top 20. Switzerland is also the most innovative country according to the world innovation index and has been for the last 10 years. The more India turns into an innovative country, the more interest India and Switzerland are covering when it comes to innovation. I would like to see our innovation relationship being directed in a more strategic way. We would like to create a platform of the best universities, companies and align the scientific policies of India and Switzerland accordingly. This will be the first time Switzerland will try to create an innovative platform of that kind worldwide. If we are able to do that in India, we will be able to replicate that in 20 other states. That is the innovation trajectory we have. When it comes to innovation, the more innovative India is becoming the more intellectual property rights will be important for India. That is also something where I see convergence. A more innovative India means, India that attaches importance to intellectual property rights, something that Switzerland also attaches as a small country with an innovative community. There is also convergence happening. The most important thing will also be that our trade relations will be accelerated. We have been negotiating with India for a number of years, we have seen India is open for business when it comes to trade deals. The proof of the pudding was given last year when India had pacts with Australia and UAE. Switzerland together with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the European Free trade association countries, have a clear ambition to accelerate the trade negotiation. For that, the state secretary for economic affairs will visit Delhi at the beginning of February and both sides will look into negotiations and try to figure out how to accelerate the negotiations and try to wrap them up. So those are the three things, to cater to friendly countries which are incredibly important to the current international situation. Then moving our innovation relations to a more strategic level and accelerating our trade relations. Sidhant Sibal: Can we expect any high-level visits this year? Dr. Ralf Heckner: Actually we are expecting the President of the Swiss confederation to come to town. We are in contact to make this happen. This would for sure be the highlight of this year and be part of celebrating 75 years of our friendship but also a moment to move our economic relations forward. What is the potential of a trade deal as well, because if you understand the potential of a trade deal, you will also have the ambition to wrap up a trade deal. So Switzerland is number 20 when it comes to worldwide economies. Our GDP is 900 billion dollars, India's GDP is 3.2 trillion dollars. So three and a half times bigger than Switzerland. We are one of the most important financial centres, we are one of the most important innovative countries. This is just to set the stages. Let's talk about the numbers, the potential we have. There are 330 Swiss businesses physically present in India. In China there are 1000, so that means we have triple the presence of Swiss companies in India, if we take China as one of the reference points. In China, we were able to wrap up a free trade pact years back, including one on intellectual property. If you have a look at the US, which is the biggest economy in the world, we are one of the biggest countries to put FDI in the US. We are talking about 300 billion US dollars, invested in the US. We are talking about 10 billion US dollars invested in India from Switzerland. In the US its, 300 billion. Only the research and development investment from Switzerland into the US is 10 billion US dollars. So sky's the limit when it comes to the potential of Swiss businesses here and when it comes to foreign direct investment into India. So once you grasp the potential, the ambition to wrap up trade deals will come with it as well. Sidhant Sibal: India is the President of the G20 grouping this year, and is inviting Switzerland to take part in the Sherpa track. Your comments on that... Dr. Ralf Heckner: We are very grateful to the Indian government that Switzerland is invited again as a permanent invitee to the finance track. We have been part of the finance track since 2016. It can be explained, we are one of the biggest financial centres and I think what we bring to the table is the know-how to new technology, Fintech. We are sharing that with India. I referred to the visit of the President of the Swiss national bank with a keen interest in India's fintech space. One thing I see, is the major contribution of Switzerland is sustainability. PM Modi is very much focused on turning India into a green country when it comes to energy and the economy. The Swiss govt also had a vision, a vision for Switzerland's financial sector, to turn into a sustainable international financial sector. We are not talking about the billions of dollars that will be invested in climate change adaptation, and mitigation like at COP27 but we are talking about trillions of dollars in Swiss pension funds, insurance, and banks, that would be invested in sustainable businesses and solutions. There we have a huge opportunity to work with India. It is the right thing to have Switzerland at the table when it comes to the G20 finance track. I think overall, and the most important thing when it comes to India's G20 presidency and Switzerland is the focus of India on peace. The PM wrote an OP-ED and made it clear that this is not a time of war and made it clear we are talking about "One family, one world, One future". If you look at Switzerland's security council priorities-- we are for the first time in our history non-permanent members of the security council--the number one priority is sustainable peace. Whenever war breaks out in the last 10-20 years, there is no peace that follows. The most important thing is we keep peace where it is and then try to foster peace where war is. This is an overarching alignment where the objectives of India's G20 presidency and we would like to achieve in New York. Sidhant Sibal: India has been focusing on automatic exchange of information when it comes to illicit money. On the bilateral aspect if you can talk about that? Dr. Ralf Heckner: So, in 2018 India and Switzerland signed a pact on automatic exchange of bank information. So on a yearly basis between September-October, both countries are exchanging information on bank accounts. With that, the whole issue of banking information being exchanged is being catered for. I have been here in India for 2 years now, and I have never heard anything that is of importance when it comes to our relations and transparency in the banking sector. So no clouds on the horizon in our bilateral ties on the contrary. But it was dealt with in 2018. Sidhant Sibal: What are Switzerland's priorities when it comes to its non-permanent time frame at the UNSC which has just started. You have already talked about peace, but what are the other priorities? Dr. Ralf Heckner: Other Priorities are very Swiss priorities based on our foreign policy priorities. One is the protection of civilians in armed conflict, Switzerland attaches importance to protection and international humanitarian law with the founding of the International Committee of Red Cross in the 19th century. Unfortunately, if you look at the world in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, the protection of civilians is really an issue. This is our second priority. The 3rd priority will be the link between climate change and security and the 4th one, very much in line with the reform objectives of India. We would like to see an effective and transparent security council. Sidhant Sibal: Reforms of the UNSC are also something India has been talking about, what is your view on how UNSC should reflect the current geopolitical realities and will you support India's bid for a permanent seat at a reformed UNSC? Dr. Ralf Heckner: Already the fact that we support India's candidacy for 2021-22 security council membership is an indication, India is now aspiring for the next non-permanent membership of the security council. We will look into that very favourably. I think Switzerland and India are coming from 2 different sides to the same issue, that is the reform of the security council and international institutions as a whole. We are trying to change things in the current circumstances and hoping and working for a real reform. For that reason, we are talking about the effectiveness and transparency of the security council. If you look at what Switzerland has pushed forward and moved forward in the last years in that specific file, we have made it clear that we are of the opinion that P5 with a veto power should refrain from using the veto power whenever they are involved in a war. I think Ukraine is an example why Switzerland's proposal for a restrained use of a veto power is the right one. When it comes to India, once the conditions are ripe, I am sure Switzerland will look very favourable into India's candidacy. If you look at the world, it is very clear that India is an important country growing in influence and Switzerland attaches a lot of importance to our bilateral relations and which direction it will go. Sidhant Sibal: What is your view on the reform of the sanctions regime? Sanctions regimes looked politicised and China has blocked the listing of Pakistan-based terrorists. Dr. Ralf Heckner: I cannot tell you how we will vote, once things are on the table of my colleagues in the Swiss government in New York. But Switzerland is adhering to UN Sanctions, sanctions being taken by UNSC and that is clear. So Switzerland is implementing sanctions of the security council and will do so in the future. When it comes to sanctions and terrorism, just have a look at how Switzerland, decisions last year. India invited a number of countries to an extraordinary session of the UNSC sanctions committee. We were there with one person from New York and another from Berne. This shows the importance we attach to the sanctions regime and then no money for the terror conference, we had the deputy state secretary of financial affairs in town for those 2 days. Our message was a clear one that we would like to see all international states adhering and implementing the international standards when it comes to fight against terrorism. They are very much aligned with India and working with India on one of the priorities of India's security council membership 2021-2022. Sidhant Sibal: Switzerland has had a cultural impact due to movies, how do you see it? There seems to be a lull in that, but how do you plan to take it forward? Dr. Ralf Heckner: I am so impressed to see how one person, Mr Chopra and a friend of his, a Swiss farmer in Berne, were at the beginning of an incredible people to people relationship. The fact that the biggest visa centre worldwide of our network is in India, shows you the vibrancy of our people to people relations. It is not lull, if you look at 2 things–shooting a move in Switzerland that is still being done which is being done in a lot of other countries and then there is social media. Switzerland tourism is working very much with popular figures in India, Shah Rukh Khan or now the Olympic gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra. That is how we try to keep the attention level of our Indian friends when it comes to visiting Switzerland as a tourist destination. But what I think is important is that Indian people, Indian administration understand what Switzerland has to offer beyond the beautiful landscape and cable cars and trains, that is our country is the most innovative country on our planet. If you want to tap into the most innovative country on this planet, you can do that in Switzerland, if you want to have a relationship with one of the biggest FDI investors, that is Switzerland. That is something people do not see that much. The economic muscle Switzerland has as an FDI investor and also when it comes to innovation and research and that is where I would like to direct the attention of the Indian public but I am very happy Indian tourists are visiting Switzerland and by the way a lot of Swiss tourists are also visiting India. Before the pandemic, My friends in the Indian embassy in Berne were issuing 40-50,000 visas so it's a two-way relationship. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Switzerland Envoy Heckner backs strong trade, political ties with India

India and Switzerland are celebrating 75 years of friendship this year and the European country is looking to strengthen its bilateral ties with India in the fields of innovation and trade.

WION Dispatch: Swiss envoy to India speaks to WION

Switzerland's ambassador to India Dr. Ralf Heckner has backed strong trading and political ties with India hoping that the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade talk will "accelerate" soon. European Free Trade Association is a free trade area between 4 countries--Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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