https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Is Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Burkhalter bidding to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations? https://www.thelocal.ch/20150323/swiss-minister-touted-as-candidate-for-top-un-job Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:12:57 +0100 swiss-minister-touted-as-candidate-for-top-un-job UPDATED: US Secretary of State John Kerry began tough talks in Geneva on Monday with his Russian counterpart to end fighting in Ukraine, where the UN says the death toll has soared beyond 6,000 people in less than a year. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150302/kerry-and-lavrov-meet-in-geneva-over-ukraine Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:01:05 +0100 kerry-and-lavrov-meet-in-geneva-over-ukraine Ukraine's foreign minister said in Basel on Friday that his war-torn country needed a "real" ceasefire, a day after Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels agreed on a fresh truce starting on December 9th. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141205/ukraine-minister-in-basel-urges-real-ceasefire Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:54:00 +0100 ukraine-minister-in-basel-urges-real-ceasefire US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Russia not to isolate itself as efforts to resolve the conflict took centre stage at a meeting of the 57 members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Basel. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141204/kerry-urges-russia-not-to-isolate-itself-on-ukraine Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:50:00 +0100 kerry-urges-russia-not-to-isolate-itself-on-ukraine US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Basel on Wednesday evening for a meeting of foreign ministers from 50 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to focus on the spiralling Ukraine crisis. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141203/kerry-arrives-in-basel-for-ukraine-talks Wed, 03 Dec 2014 21:56:00 +0100 kerry-arrives-in-basel-for-ukraine-talks Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in conflict-torn Ukraine since a tattered truce was signed in September while the number of people displaced has nearly doubled, the United Nations said in Geneva on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141120/ukraine-killings-near-1000-since-truce-un Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:40:10 +0100 ukraine-killings-near-1000-since-truce-un A shaky ceasefire in Ukraine alone is not enough to end the conflict, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, the head of the OSCE, said on Monday, calling for a political process and urging dialogue over sanctions. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140908/burkhalter-warns-ukraine-ceasefire-not-enough Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:52:00 +0200 burkhalter-warns-ukraine-ceasefire-not-enough Swiss President Didier Burkhalter on Monday thanked the country’s citizens who mobilized 75 years earlier to defend the mountain country when the Second World War broke out. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140901/burkhalter-praises-swiss-defence-in-second-world-war Tue, 02 Sep 2014 00:56:00 +0200 burkhalter-praises-swiss-defence-in-second-world-war Switzerland said on Tuesday it had added 26 more Russian officials and pro-Moscow separatists as well as 18 entities to a blacklist of those considered the main movers in the Ukraine crisis. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140805/switzerlands-ukraine-crisis-blacklist-grows-to-88 Tue, 05 Aug 2014 18:06:00 +0200 switzerlands-ukraine-crisis-blacklist-grows-to-88 Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), on Friday hailed the release of four of the organization's observers, including one Swiss, abducted in east Ukraine a month ago. But he demanded the freeing of others still being held. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140627/burkhalter-hails-release-of-osce-observers Fri, 27 Jun 2014 11:44:00 +0200 burkhalter-hails-release-of-osce-observers Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, who chairs European security body the OSCE, will attend the inauguration of Ukraine's president-elect Petro Poroshenko on Saturday, his office announced on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140605/burkhalter-to-attend-ukraine-presidential-inauguration Fri, 06 Jun 2014 01:00:00 +0200 burkhalter-to-attend-ukraine-presidential-inauguration Swiss President Didier Burkhalter on Monday urged arch-foes Azerbaijan and Armenia to step up efforts for a peaceful solution to their conflict over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140602/burkhalter-urges-end-to-azerbaijan-armenia-feuding Tue, 03 Jun 2014 00:50:00 +0200 burkhalter-urges-end-to-azerbaijan-armenia-feuding The head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, will visit Moscow on Wednesday for talks on the crisis in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140505/burkhalter-heads-to-moscow-over-ukraine-crisis Mon, 05 May 2014 10:38:00 +0200 burkhalter-heads-to-moscow-over-ukraine-crisis Efforts involving Switzerland to free a group of international observers held by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine have reached a critical phase, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140502/plans-to-free-ukraine-observers-at-critical-stage Fri, 02 May 2014 15:35:00 +0200 plans-to-free-ukraine-observers-at-critical-stage Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has condemned the kidnapping of a team of international observers in Ukraine, saying his organization was working "at all levels" to secure their release. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140428/burkhalter-urges-release-of-osce-ukraine-observers Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:44:00 +0200 burkhalter-urges-release-of-osce-ukraine-observers US Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday met Didier Burkhalter, leader of Switzerland and current head of the OSCE group that is seeking a leading role during Ukraine's political transition. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140226/swiss-president-burkhalter-meets-biden-ukraine Wed, 26 Feb 2014 08:51:00 +0100 swiss-president-burkhalter-meets-biden-ukraine Swiss president Didier Burkhalter on Monday said he had offered mediation in the deadly crisis gripping Ukraine, but was still waiting for word from Kiev. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140127/swiss-president-offers-to-help Mon, 27 Jan 2014 16:06:15 +0100 swiss-president-offers-to-help Switzerland on Wednesday assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, naming the Western Balkans and South Caucasus as its priorities. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140103/switzerland-takes-over-osce-helm Fri, 03 Jan 2014 09:51:00 +0100 switzerland-takes-over-osce-helm