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Cables mirror and Afghan War Diary
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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05BERN2360 |
ADAMOV: SWISS COURT REJECTS U.S. REQUEST: ORDERS [...] No summary [...] |
2005-12-29 12:04:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KCRM CJAN PREL ENRG SZ RU |
| 06BERN1044 |
SWISS ARREST MEMBERS OF AN APPARENT ISLAMIST [...] No summary [...] |
2006-05-24 12:51:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET//NOFORN | PTER KCRM EAIR ASEC SZ |
| 06BERN1138 |
TRIPARTITE DEMARCHE: SWITZERLAND ALIGNS WITH EU [...] No summary [...] |
2006-06-09 14:59:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL SZ |
| 06BERN1140 |
MONTENEGRO: SWITZERLAND RECOGNIZES INDEPENDENCE [...] No summary [...] |
2006-06-12 09:58:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL SZ YU |
| 06BERN1218 |
(S) SWISS AIMING TO PREVENT MEDIA TORNADO ON [...] (S) Charge d'Affairs a.i. Carol Urban met with Department of Finance (EFD), Director for Financial Markets, Rene Weber to deliver points in REF A mid-afternoon June 23, 2006. The Charge highlighted the legal safeguards and auditing that are in place in the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program an [...] |
2006-06-23 14:59:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PTER EFIN SZ |
| 06BERN1223 |
SWISS REPLY ON VENEZUELAN ANTI-NGO LAW [...] No summary [...] |
2006-06-27 15:07:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PREL PGOV EAID VE SZ |
| 06BERN1253 |
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - SWISS APPROACH TO [...] No summary [...] |
2006-07-06 10:48:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PHUM UNHRC SZ |
| 06BERN1280 |
IRAN: LARIJANI MEETS WITH SWISS FM CALMY-REY \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-07-10 14:51:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KNNP PARM ETTC SZ |
| 06BERN141 |
SWISS COUNTERTERRORISM OVERVIEW - SCENESETTER FOR \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-01-20 16:53:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PARM ETTC SZ |
| 06BERN1462 |
UNHRC SPECIAL SESSION ON LEBANON: SWISS AMBIVALENT [...] No summary [...] |
2006-08-09 11:08:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PTER MOPS IS |
| 06BERN1505 |
SWISS WELCOME UNSC RESOLUTION ON LEBANON [...] No summary [...] |
2006-08-15 10:37:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | UN IS PREL PTER MOPS UNSC |
| 06BERN1553 |
FM CALMY-REY LASHES OUT AT THE UNITED STATES, EU \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-08-23 08:46:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ETRD SZ |
| 06BERN1571 |
STOCKHOLM DONORS CONFERENCE: SWISS AID TO LEBANON [...] No summary [...] |
2006-08-25 15:12:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PREL SZ SW |
| 06BERN1593 |
(CORRECTED COPY) SWISS FOREIGN MINISTER \ [...] (C) Charge Urban met with Swiss Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey \ this afternoon at the FM's invitation. The FM wished to \ clarify remarks she made about the U.S. during her August 21 \ speech to the Swiss ambassadors conference in Bern. Asked to \ speak first, the Charge noted concerns in Washington [...] |
2006-08-29 17:54:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ETRD SZ |
| 06BERN1626 |
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP: [...] No summary [...] |
2006-09-06 06:08:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ |
| 06BERN1639 |
DEMARCHE FOR ATTENDEES OF NAM SUMMIT [...] No summary [...] |
2006-09-07 05:51:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL UNGA PTER PHUM CU SZ |
| 06BERN1686 |
SWISS DFA DEPUTY POLDIR ON IRAN, UNHRC, AND \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-09-14 07:49:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KNNP CASC SZ |
| 06BERN1710 |
SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING, [...] No summary [...] |
2006-09-15 10:45:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ |
| 06BERN1804 |
GOS "HEADS UP": SWISS FEDERAL PROSECUTOR TO [...] No summary [...] |
2006-09-22 15:28:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER KJUS PHUM SZ |
| 06BERN1867 |
S/CT CRUMPTON PRESSES THE SWISS TO SHARE MORE INTEL \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-02 14:48:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PTER ETTC SZ |
| 06BERN1896 |
MTAG: LATEST ON SWISS INVESTIGATION OF BB [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-05 16:57:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM ETTC SZ IR |
| 06BERN1910 |
SWISS REACTION TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-11 13:59:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP PREL PARM SZ |
| 06BERN1947 |
SWISS VIEWS ON LEBANON, SYRIA, AND HAMAS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-18 16:39:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KDEM PTER MOPS SZ |
| 06BERN1971 |
EUR A/S FRIED AND SWISS STATE SECRETARY AMBUHL \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-23 08:56:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER KNNP EAID SZ |
| 06BERN1981 |
SWISS ASSISTANCE WITH USINT OPERATING DIFFICULTIES [...] No summary [...] |
2006-10-24 16:56:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL AMGT SZ CU |
| 06BERN2046 |
CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC) - SEEKING [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-03 16:23:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM PREL SZ |
| 06BERN2059 |
SYRIA/LEBANON: SWISS OFFICIAL REPORTS ON DAMASCUS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-08 16:10:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER MEPP SY LE IS SZ |
| 06BERN2060 |
SWISS-DPRK TRADE VERY LIMITED [...] (S) Summary: In response to REFTELS A and B, on November 7 Emboffs spoke with Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Bilateral Economic Relations Division, Export Controls and Sanctions Chief Othmar Wyss about Swiss-DPRK trade relations. According to Wyss, Swiss trade with North Korea [...] |
2006-11-08 16:20:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | ETTC KNNP PARM TRGY MNUC IAEA SZ |
| 06BERN2064 |
SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION: SWISS UPDATE [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-08 17:35:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID PREL PK SZ |
| 06BERN2109 |
DEPUTY S/CT URBANCIC URGES SWISS ACTION ON PKK [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-24 12:00:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER ETTC TU SZ |
| 06BERN2115 |
SWISS TO BAKER COMMISSION: USG SHOULD NO LONGER \ [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-27 15:48:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KNNP PTER ETTC IR IZ SZ |
| 06BERN2122 |
SWISS ELECTORATE REAFFIRMS TIES WITH EU; APPROVES $800 [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-28 16:16:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV EAID EUN SZ |
| 06BERN2142 |
CUBA AND TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD ACT: SWITZERLAND [...] No summary [...] |
2006-12-06 15:59:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD ETTC PREL CU SZ |
| 06BERN545 |
SWISS SEE GOLAN HEIGHTS RESOLUTION AS KEY TO [...] No summary [...] |
2006-03-14 14:00:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PREL KPAL IS SY SZ |
| 06BERN587 |
U.S.-INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION: SWISS NOT [...] No summary [...] |
2006-03-17 16:00:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KSCA KNNP ENRG PARM ETTC IN SZ |
| 06BERN593 |
SWISS ADOPT RESTRICTIONS ON DISPOSAL OF EXCESS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-03-21 10:39:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | MASS MOPS PREL IZ SZ |
| 06BERN688 |
BELARUS: SWITZERLAND WEIGHS VISA BAN, TARGETED [...] No summary [...] |
2006-03-29 15:24:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL EU BL SZ |
| 06BERN716 |
CUBA: SWISS FM CALMY-REY'S MARCH 23 MEETING WITH [...] No summary [...] |
2006-03-31 16:12:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL ASEC CU SZ |
| 06BERN725 |
IRANIAN OPPOSITION GROUP CLAIMS IRAN REPATRIATED [...] No summary [...] |
2006-04-03 13:04:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETTC EFIN KNNP IR SZ |
| 06BERN8 |
MORITZ LEUENBERGER, NEW PRESIDENT OF THE [...] No summary [...] |
2006-01-03 16:11:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PINR ECON SZ |
| 06BERN828 |
SWISS ECONOMICS/TRADE MINISTER JOSEPH DEISS TO [...] (SBU) Summary: In a surprise announcement, Swiss Economics and Trade Minister Joseph Deiss announced on April 27 that, effective July 31, he would resign his position as Economics and Trade Minister and step down from the seven-member Federal Council, where he is the Christian Democratic Party' [...] |
2006-04-27 11:06:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD WTRO PGOV SZ |
| 06BERN898 |
SWITZERLAND & LIECHTENSTEIN: ASSESSING OUR [...] No summary [...] |
2006-05-05 15:15:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ETRD SZ VE |
| 07BERN1009 |
SWISS ELECTIONS: LEFT-WING RADICALS DISRUPT SVP [...] (SBU) Summary: On October 6, left-wing radicals disrupted a long-planned campaign rally in downtown Bern by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). At days end, 42 left-wing demonstrators reportedly had been arrested, with 3 demonstrators and 18 police injured. This incident has further disconcerte [...] |
2007-10-10 14:25:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL SZ |
| 07BERN1020 |
Swiss October 21 Elections Set to Mark Only Measured [...] (SBU) The upcoming Swiss national parliamentary elections on October 21 look set to mark measured shifts of political support from the center to the two extremes, with power still shared by all of the current major political parties. The central questions to be answered by this election are (1 [...] |
2007-10-18 14:24:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL SZ |
| 07BERN1043 |
SWISS APPRECIATE INFORMATION ON NEW IRAN [...] Emboff delivered reftel points and non-paper to Dieter Cavalleri, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Director, International Law Division, on October 26. Cavalleri said he would immediately provide the relevant Swiss ministries with the information and would also provide the Swiss Federal [...] |
2007-10-29 09:25:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP PREL PARM EFIN IR SZ |
| 07BERN1077 |
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON HOST GOV PRACTICES [...] No summary [...] |
2007-11-08 16:01:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PREL CVIS ASEC KVPR SZ |
| 07BERN1087 |
SWISS LIKEMINDED ON DEMOCRACY IN VENEZUELA -- BUT [...] (C) Pol/Econ Officer delivered the reftel talking points on anti-democratic reforms in Venezuela on November 16 to Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs U.S. Office Director Urs Hammer and South America Desk Officer Nora Kronig, and received an initial readout on the Swiss position regarding the [...] |
2007-11-16 11:08:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM SZ |
| 07BERN1093 |
IRAN/IAEA: SWISS NON-COMMITAL ON BOG STATEMENT, [...] (C) The Ambassador delivered the message in reftel A November 19 to MFA State Secretary Ambuehl, urging the GOS to take a firm line in a national statement at the upcoming November 22-23 IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) meeting. Ambuehl made no commitments regarding the content of a Swiss nationa [...] |
2007-11-20 14:49:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM IAEA KNNP MNUC IR SZ |
| 07BERN1096 |
ZURCHER KANTONALBANK REPORTS IT IS 98% OUT OF THE [...] (C) Summary: Emboff met November 19 with Juerg Reichen, Head of International Banking for Zurcher Kantonalbank (ZKB), who traveled to Bern for the meeting, to discuss the bank's Iranian relationships. Reichen explained that ZKB had reduced its Iran portfolio by about 98% since its management [...] |
2007-11-20 16:01:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER KFIN KFTN IR SZ |
| 07BERN1101 |
SWITZERLAND DENIES EXPORTS OF NON-CONTROLLED GOODS [...] (C) On November 21, Embassy Pol/Econ Counselor was called to the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to meet with the Head of the Export Control and Sanctions Division Othmar Wyss regarding a GOS export denial based on USG information presented on August 14, 2007. SECO Chief of [...] |
2007-11-21 16:47:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MTCRE PREL ETTC SZ |
| 07BERN1104 |
SWISS MFA REPORTEDLY STILL REVIEWING FUTURE OF [...] (C) Summary: Swiss MFA Desk Officer for Iraq Laila Sheikh told poloff November 28 that the MFA has not reached a final decision as to whether to close the Swiss Liaison Office in Baghdad (ref B). She explained that the matter is still under review, but that security and cost issues are making [...] |
2007-11-28 14:47:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PREL PGOV IZ |
| 07BERN1119 |
SWISS REACTION TO NIE ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM [...] (C) Ambassador delivered the message in reftel on December 4 to MFA Middle East Affairs Division Chief Livia Leu (Note: Ambassador Leu represented State Secretary Ambuehl, who was unexpectedly called to a meeting with FM Calmy-Rey. End Note). Leu expressed the Swiss government's appreciation [...] |
2007-12-05 10:58:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MNUC KNNP IR SZ |
| 07BERN113 |
SWISS DFA STATE SECRETARY AMBUEHL HEARS NOTHING \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-05 17:15:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PTER KNNP SZ IR |
| 07BERN1130 |
KOSOVO: SWISS SUPPORT DELIBERATE MOVEMENT TO [...] (C) Poloff presented the message in reftel on December 12 to Didier Chassot, MFA Regional Coordinator for Southeastern Europe. Chassot's deputy, Gabriele Derighetti, also participated in the meeting. Chassot said that Swiss thinking on the way forward in Kosovo is in line with USG views. He [...] |
2007-12-12 16:28:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV YI SZ |
| 07BERN1131 |
PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE: SWISS PLANNING SENIOR [...] (SBU) DCM met with MFA Middle East Division Chief Livia Leu on December 10 and delivered the message in reftel, urging the GOS to send ministerial-level representation to the December 17 Donors Conference and to be prepared to announce major new assistance pledges to the Palestinians. Leu unde [...] |
2007-12-12 16:33:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PGOV KWBG KPAL IS SZ |
| 07BERN1132 |
SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS: BLOCHER FAILS TO [...] (SBU) Right up until the voting began, the major Swiss pundits and insiders were saying that all seven Federal Councilors would be re-elected on December 12 by the Swiss Parliament. Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, whose SVP party had the strongest showing in the October parliamentary elec [...] |
2007-12-12 17:27:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL SZ |
| 07BERN1137 |
SVP GOES INTO OPPOSITION: SWISS POLITICS ENTERS [...] (C) Summary: Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf announced her decision early the morning of December 13 to accept her election by the Parliament to the Federal Council (reftel). Following Widmer-Schlumpf's announcement, the SVP leadership made good on its threat to take the SVP into the parliamentary op [...] |
2007-12-13 16:03:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SZ |
| 07BERN1150 |
DELIVERY OF LETTER TO EMBASSY OF JAPAN REGARDING [...] No summary [...] |
2007-12-21 09:57:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG KNNP TRGY PARM JS RS SZ |
| 07BERN1156 |
NORTHERN UGANDA UPDATE; ACCOUNTABILITY OF JUBA [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the points in reftel on December 19 to Kuno Schlaefli, deputy in the MFA's Office of the Special Envoy for Human Security. Schlaefli thanked poloff for the information. He said he could not yet provide a substantive response, but undertook to discuss the matter with oth [...] |
2007-12-21 17:36:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PGOV PHUM PREL UG SZ |
| 07BERN1157 |
PSI 5TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE: SWISS NOTIFIED [...] (SBU) On December 18, Poloff provided the "save the date" non-paper in para 5 of reftel to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Section. Friedrich thanked poloff for the information, saying that early notice of this planned event was helpful. He could not yet make a [...] |
2007-12-21 17:50:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM KNNP KSTC PREL SZ |
| 07BERN130 |
IRAN: SWISS FM CALMY-REY MEETS WITH LARIJANI \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-13 11:16:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP PREL ETTC IR SZ |
| 07BERN144 |
SWISS ELECTION YEAR -- WILL POLARIZATION AND [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-14 16:40:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV SZ |
| 07BERN151 |
SWISS CABINET AUTHORIZES A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-16 07:35:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER MOPS KJUS SZ |
| 07BERN158 |
IRAN: AMBASSADOR URGES POLDIR AMBUEHL TO STEP BACK \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-16 11:28:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP PTER ETTC IR SZ |
| 07BERN171 |
IRAN: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES "THE SWISS PLAN" WITH \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-02-23 14:46:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP PTER ETTC IR SZ |
| 07BERN200 |
TIP - SWITZERLAND: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2007-03-01 15:40:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG SZ |
| 07BERN209 |
SEVEN SUSPECTS CLEARED OF MOST SERIOUS CHARGES IN [...] No summary [...] |
2007-03-02 17:32:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER ETTC SZ |
| 07BERN258 |
IRAN: SWISS POLDIR AMBUEHL TELLS EUR A/S FRIED HE \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-03-16 07:49:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KNNP PARM UNSC SZ |
| 07BERN259 |
IRAN: SWISS POLDIR AMBUEHL'S BRIEFS ON HIS MOST \ [...] In order to create the necessary confidence: \ \ -- Iran will suspend all its enrichment-related activities as \ required by the UNSC and the IAEA and to be verified by the \ latter; \ \ -- The P5 plus 1 will simultaneously suspend the \ implementation of the UNSC sanctions and will ensure that [...] |
2007-03-16 12:23:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PREL ETTC SZ |
| 07BERN270 |
KOSOVO: SWISS TO SUPPORT AHTISAARI [...] No summary [...] |
2007-03-20 10:10:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KPKO SZ |
| 07BERN29 |
SCENESETTER FOR USG PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2007 WORLD [...] No summary [...] |
2007-01-12 13:03:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ETRD ASEC SZ |
| 07BERN609 |
SWISS JUSTICE MINISTER BLOCHER PREVIEWS VISIT TO [...] No summary [...] |
2007-07-03 16:31:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER KJUS SZ |
| 07BERN664 |
ISA: SWISS SUPPORT EGL DEAL, VIEW IT AS ISA AND \ [...] No summary [...] |
2007-07-19 14:17:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG ETTC PARM SZ |
| 07BERN880 |
PROBABLE RIGHT-WING BOMB ATTACKS AGAINST THREE SWISS CANTONAL OFFICIALS - WARNING SHOT? [...] (SBU) In the early morning hours of September 4, three small bombs exploded outside the homes of three prominent politicians in central Switzerland. The blasts caused limited damage and nobody was harmed in any of these incidents. A link to international terrorist groups can be virtually rule [...] |
2007-09-11 05:56:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SZ PGOV PTER |
| 07BERN881 |
FM CALMY-REY "TAKES NOTE" OF USG CONCERNS \ [...] (S) Per instructions in reftel A, CDA met FM Calmy-Rey on \ the evening of September 7 to discuss USG concerns regarding \ the handling of the Iran case at the September 10-14 IAEA \ Board of Governors (BOG) meeting (reftels C/D). As requested \ in ref B, CDA also took the opportunity to raise USG [...] |
2007-09-11 09:44:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | MNUC KNNP ETTC IR SZ |
| 07BERN896 |
BLOCHER-ROSCHACHER ROILS SWISS CONSENSUS POLITICS [...] (SBU) The Blocher-Roschacher affair is for the most part about Federal Councilor (and Justice Minister) Blocher's role in the July 2006 resignation of Federal Prosecutor Valentin Roschacher. The key question hanging in the air is whether Blocher abused his office as Justice Minister to exert u [...] |
2007-09-13 05:53:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV SNAR SZ |
| 07BERN923 |
D/EUCOM GEN WARD DISCUSSES ENGAGEMENT IN AFRICA [...] (SBU) During a September 7 office meeting with Swiss DefMin Schmid, and a subsequent joint MFA/MOD roundtable discussion, Deputy EUCOM Commander General Ward and senior Swiss MFA and MOD officials exchanged views on efforts to enhance African security and stability. DefMin Schmid characterize [...] |
2007-09-18 15:01:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MARR MASS PREL AF SZ |
| 07BERN937 |
LEBANON: SWISS REVIEWING WHETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO [...] (SBU) Poloff met September 21 with Tim Enderlin, Chief of UNSC Affairs for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), and delivered the reftel message encouraging the Swiss government to make a contribution to the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Enderlin responded by emphasizing [...] |
2007-09-21 14:57:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | UNSC PTER LE SZ |
| 07BERN941 |
COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES: SWISS COMMITTED, BUT [...] (SBU) Poloff met September 21 with Tim Enderlin, Chief of UNSC Affairs for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), and delivered the reftel message outlining U.S. priorities for the Community of Democracies (CD) in preparation for the October 1 meeting on the margins of the UNGA [...] |
2007-09-24 15:43:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM UNGA KDEM PGOV SZ |
| 07BERN965 |
SWISS PLAN TO NOTIFY UN IRAN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE [...] (C) Summary: Swiss Department for Economic Affairs (SECO) State Secretary Gerber reported that Switzerland plans to notify the UN Iran Sanctions Committee of a dual-use export (grinding machine) to the Mapna Turbine Engineering and Manufacturing Company (aka "Tuga") (ref A). SECO Export Cont [...] |
2007-09-28 13:12:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ETTC KNNP IAEA PARM UN IR SZ |
| 07BERN992 |
DEFMIN SCHMID COMMENTS ON SWISS ISAF COMMITMENT [...] (C) In a September 27 meeting with Swiss DefMin Schmid, the Ambassador drew on points in reftel to urge the Swiss government to retain -- or increase -- its commitment of personnel to ISAF. MOD Political Advisor Kunz and Military Advisor MG Rusch accompanied DefMin Schmid; DATT and poloff acc [...] |
2007-10-05 13:26:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR NATO ASEC PREL AF SZ |
| 07BERN995 |
MTCR: SWISS EXPRESS "NO PROBLEMS" WITH MODIFIED [...] No summary [...] |
2007-10-05 15:46:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MTCRE PREL ETTC SZ |
| 08BERN104 |
SWITZERLAND RECOGNIZES KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE [...] (U) At 4:00 p.m. (CET) on February 27, Swiss President Pascal Couchepin announced that the Swiss Federal Council (cabinet) had decided in a meeting earlier in the day to recognize the independence of Kosovo and to "establish diplomatic and consular relations between the two countries." (full t [...] |
2008-02-27 16:17:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL NATO MARR EU KV SZ |
| 08BERN107 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO USG VIEWS ON RECENT IAEA REPORT [...] (U) Contains action request; please see para 4. 2. (S) Poloff delivered the nonpapers in reftels A and B on February 28 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Section. Jean-Daniel Praz, Friedrich's deputy, also participated in the meeting. Friedrich said that h [...] |
2008-02-28 16:16:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM KNNP IAEA MNUC IR SZ |
| 08BERN108 |
SOMALIA AND PIRACY: SEEKING SWISS VIEWS ON [...] (SBU) Poloff met February 28 with Rolf Ott, MFA Director for East African Affairs, to discuss the query in reftel. Ott appreciated the question, but said he would need to coordinate with other MFA offices and Swiss government agencies before he could respond. He undertook to try to provide su [...] |
2008-02-28 16:37:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL KCRM PBTS UNSC SO SZ |
| 08BERN12 |
DELIVERY OF INVITATION TO WIREC TO FEDERAL COUNCILOR [...] No summary [...] |
2008-01-08 12:33:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG SENV TRGY EPET EAID SOCI KSCA SZ |
| 08BERN122 |
TIP - SWITZERLAND: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2008-03-07 13:55:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG SZ |
| 08BERN125 |
UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1803 ON IRAN [...] (SBU) Emboff delivered non-papers in reftel A on March 4 to Roland Vock, Head of the Sanctions Task Force at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Vock's deputy, Thomas Graf, participated in the meeting. Vock said that SECO already was working on the necessary steps for the [...] |
2008-03-07 17:21:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM MNUC KNNP IR SZ |
| 08BERN127 |
ACUTRONIC: GOS RESPONSE TO INFORMATION REGARDING [...] (S) On March 5, Othmar Wyss, Director of the Export Controls and Sanctions Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), provided poloff the SIPDIS GOS response, in the form of a non-paper, to our query regarding Swiss firm Acutronic (reftels). According to the non-p [...] |
2008-03-07 18:42:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE ETTC IR CH SZ |
| 08BERN131 |
SWISS GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO USG INFORMATION THAT [...] (S) On March 5, Othmar Wyss, Director of the Export Controls and Sanctions Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), provided poloff the SIPDIS GOS response, in the form of a non-paper, to USG information (reftels A and B) indicating that Swiss firm Schaublin Mach [...] |
2008-03-11 17:41:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE PREL MNUC ETTC IR SZ |
| 08BERN15 |
UNVIE AMBASSADOR SCHULTE'S OCTOBER 15 [...] (C) Summary: USUNVIE Ambassador Schulte met October 15 with senior Swiss officials for consultations following Switzerland's appointment to the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) in September. The key Swiss interlocutors were Walter Steinmann, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (Switz [...] |
2008-01-09 15:03:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM IAEA KNNP IR IN SZ |
| 08BERN154 |
(S) PROVIDING THE GOS INFORMATION ON SWISS FIRM [...] (S) Poloff delivered the non-paper in reftel on March 14 to Erwin Bollinger, Deputy Director for Export Control Policy, Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Bollinger had no immediate substantive response, but thanked poloff for the information and undertook to follow-u [...] |
2008-04-01 12:36:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE PREL MNUC ETTC IR SZ |
| 08BERN179 |
TIP - SWITZERLAND: Supplement [...] (U) The Federal Office of Police has adjusted its organization and hired new staff to step up the fight against trafficking in persons and child sexual abuse. At the operational level, the former investigative unit "Pedophilia-Human Trafficking-Migrant Smuggling" in July 2007 was split up int [...] |
2008-04-17 14:56:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF ELAB SZ |
| 08BERN192 |
AFGHANISTAN: SWISS "CONSOLIDATING" RECONSTRUCTION [...] (C) Summary: Charge met April 16 with Ambassador Pierre Combernous, Chief of the MFA's Division for Asian and Pacific Affairs, to discuss Swiss plans for the upcoming International Support Conference on Afghanistan, to be hosted by France in Paris on June 12. Per reftel, Charge emphasized th [...] |
2008-04-23 11:32:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID KDEM PGOV PREL AF SZ |
| 08BERN195 |
SWISS CONSDERING DOWNGRADING LEVEL OF [...] Emboff delivered reftel points to Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), Deputy Regional Coordinator USA, Alexandra Baumann on April 21. Baumann indicated that Switzerland will consider "downgrading" its delegation to the May 5-16 UN Commission on Sustainable Development meeting based on [...] |
2008-04-24 14:37:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON AORC PREL EAGR EAID SZ |
| 08BERN196 |
SWISS AGAINST A SIX-MONTH STRATEGIC REVIEW: [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. During an April 24 meeting with Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Economic Cooperation and Development officials Raimond Furrer and Nathalie Floras told Emboff that Switzerland is "favorably inclined" to support Turkey's request to change membership status fr [...] |
2008-04-24 14:57:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PREL ECON TU SZ |
| 08BERN224 |
INTERNATIONAL COMPACT WITH IRAQ MINISTERIAL [...] (SBU) Acting POL Counselor discussed the message in reftel on May 9 with Rascha Osman, Swiss MFA Iraq Desk Officer. Osman reported that MFA State Secretary Ambuehl (Deputy Minister equivalent) will lead the Swiss delegation to the May 29 International Compact with Iraq (ICI) Ministerial in Sto [...] |
2008-05-13 16:00:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID EFIN PGOV PREL IZ SZ |
| 08BERN238 |
OSLO PROCESS: PM/WRA CONSULTATIONS WITH [...] (C) Summary: Schraner emphasized that, as Friend of the Chair at the Dublin conference, she will seek to take a "realistic, balanced approach that can reach consensus." She said that it is her strong conviction that the convention will not be successful if the major military powers involved [...] |
2008-05-20 14:24:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | MOPS PARM PREL NATO UN SZ |
| 08BERN246 |
PLEDGING AT THE PARIS SUPPORT CONFERENCE FOR [...] (SBU) Summary: Poloff emphasized the message in reftel A in a May 9 meeting with MFA Senior Coordinator for South Asia Yves-Pierre Fux, highlighting the pressing need for election support; Fux's deputy, Agnes Christeler participated in the meeting. Fux explained that Switzerland made a five-y [...] |
2008-05-23 16:27:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID ECON EFIN KDEM PGOV PREL AF SZ |
| 08BERN247 |
UN SYSTEM OF INTERNAL JUSTICE [...] (U) Contains Action Request; please see para 3. 2. (SBU) Poloff emphasized the message in reftel in a May 21 meeting with MFA Deputy UN Affairs Coordinator Frank Gruetter and MFA Deputy Legal Advisor for Development of International Law Joerg Lindenmann. Gruetter, who recently returned from [...] |
2008-05-23 17:17:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC UNGA PREL SZ |
| 08BERN267 |
IAEA/IRAN: SWISS REACTION TO LATEST IAEA REPORT [...] (C) On May 30, poloff delivered the message in reftel to Jean-Daniel Praz, acting Head of the MFA Office of Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs. (Note: Post also passed a copy of the reftel non-paper to MFA State Secretary Michael Ambuehl and to the diplomatic advisor to President Couchepin. [...] |
2008-06-02 08:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA IR SZ |
| 08BERN273 |
CUBA: WHA DAS MADISON'S APRIL 10 CONSULTATIONS [...] (S) Summary: DAS Madison expressed appreciation for Switzerland's engagement as Protecting Power on behalf of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana (USINT). Ambassador Yvonne Baumann, Head of the MFA's Americas Division, said that this role was "an honor and a priority" for the Swiss government [...] |
2008-06-05 13:55:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PHUM PREL PGOV KDEM CU SZ |
| 08BERN321 |
ENCOURAGING SUPPORT FOR UN 1267 SANCTIONS AND [...] (C) Poloff delivered message in reftel on July 2 to Daniel Frank, MFA Deputy Coordinator for Counter-terrorism. Frank said that the GOS had not yet formulated its official response to UNSCR 1822, but that the MFA noted and appreciated the positive elements. He remarked that UNSCR 1822 was a [...] |
2008-07-03 17:09:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PREL ETTC EFIN KTFN UNSC SZ |
| 08BERN323 |
SWISS NOT SURPRISED, BUT REGRET USG POSITION ON [...] (C) Poloff delivered reftel message June 18 to Ralf Heckner, Head of the MFA's Human Rights Policy Section. In an expansive and collegial manner, Heckner responded that the USG's decision no longer to participate in UNHRC sessions or activities did not come as a surprise, as it was apparent l [...] |
2008-07-07 18:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL SZ |
| 08BERN35 |
SCENESETTER: THE 2008 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL [...] (U) The Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) is an independent international organization, with a self-proclaimed commitment to "improving the state of the world." It can be thought of as a large think tank with global mobility. The WEF's aim is to be a leader in identifying strategic iss [...] |
2008-01-17 16:41:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ETRD SENV ENRG EAID PGOV SZ |
| 08BERN352 |
INDIA-IAEA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT: SWISS HAVE [...] (C) Poloff delivered reftel message July 14 to Jean-Daniel Praz, Acting Director of the MFA's Arms Control and Disarmament Section, and MFA POC for IAEA issues. In a follow-up meeting on July 21, Praz said that the Swiss government had not yet reached a decision with regard to the position it [...] |
2008-07-22 17:03:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM ETTC PREL IN SZ |
| 08BERN375 |
(S) SWISS FIRM'S DISCUSSIONS WITH UAE FIRM ON SALE [...] (S) Embassy presented reftel points on July 30 to Juergen Boehler, acting director for export control policy of the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Boehler promised that the Swiss Government would look into the matter carefully. Boehler stated that the Swiss Company Liechti is a sma [...] |
2008-07-30 11:51:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | SZ IR PARM PREL MNUC ETTC |
| 08BERN418 |
DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL IRANIAN ENTITIES AND [...] Post delivered reftel points to State Secretariat for Economic Affairs Deputy Head of Task Force Sanctions Thomas Graf and to Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Coordinator on Counter-Terorism Alessandro Capelli on August 19. The Swiss did not provide any substantive comment, but noted that [...] |
2008-08-20 07:28:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | IR KNNP MNUC PREL PARM EFIN SZ |
| 08BERN443 |
FM CALMY-REY SAYS DIALOGUE AND "DIPLOMATIC \ [...] (C) Summary: In an August 25 address to senior Swiss \ diplomats, FM Calmy-Rey extolled dialogue and facilitation as \ chief Swiss foreign policy instruments. She used the term \ "diplomatic engineering" in describing her vision of \ Switzerland facilitating dialogue on difficult subjects. A \ r [...] |
2008-08-28 15:09:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KNNP PTER SZ |
| 08BERN467 |
UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE: SWISS RESPONSE TO USG'S [...] (C) Summary: Switzerland agrees with the USG's view on no-action motions, and is likely to support country-specific resolutions on Iran, Burma, and the DPRK. Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) contacts expressed some surprise at the USG's approach on Belarus, and said they would seek i [...] |
2008-09-16 11:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL UN SZ |
| 08BERN476 |
VISIT OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS [...] (S) On September 12, poloff delivered the reftel non-paper (regarding the April 2008 visit of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials to a Swiss underground construction firm) to Erwin Bollinger, Director of the Export Controls Policy Division of the Federal State Secretariat for E [...] |
2008-09-19 16:52:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM KNNP MNUC EFIN GM IR SZ |
| 08BERN479 |
IAEA: PREPARING FOR GC VOTE ON MESA GROUP SEAT ON [...] (U) DCM delivered the message in reftel on September 22 to Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Head of the MFA Political Secretariat for International Security Affairs. Pitteloud was joined in the meeting by Jean-Daniel Praz, Acting Head of the MFA Section for Arms Control and Disarmament; poloff a [...] |
2008-09-22 14:04:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | IAEA PARM MNUC SZ |
| 08BERN480 |
FINANCE MINISTER SUFFERS HEART ATTACK [...] (U) Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz suffered a heart attack on Saturday, September 20 and subsequently was placed into an artificial coma and underwent quintuple bypass surgery. His condition is listed as critical but stable. The doctors confirmed that his heart now seems to be circulating [...] |
2008-09-22 14:21:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ETRD PGOV SZ |
| 08BERN508 |
UNGA FIRST COMMITTEE: U.S. RESOLUTION ON [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the message and text in reftel on October 2 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich thanked poloff for the information. He had no immediate reaction to the text, but und [...] |
2008-10-03 12:06:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM PREL UNGA KNNP SZ LS |
| 08BERN513 |
VISIT OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS [...] (S) On October 1, Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Control Licensing Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) provided poloff the results of the Swiss government's investigation in response to the USG's information (reftels) that officials of Iran's Islamic Revolu [...] |
2008-10-06 16:12:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM KNNP MNUC EFIN GM IR SZ |
| 08BERN514 |
(S) MALAYSIAN-BASED SUPPLIER TO IRAN SEEKS CRYSTAL [...] (U) Poloff delivered the nonpaper in reftel on September 25 to Rolf Stadler, Acting Head of the Export Controls and Sanctions Policy Division at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Pierre-Andre Farine, Acting Head of the SECO Export Control Licensing Division, joined Stadler in [...] |
2008-10-06 16:53:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE MNUC ETTC MY IR SZ |
| 08BERN525 |
AFGHANISTAN: SWITZERLAND FOCUSED ON CIVIL SECTOR; [...] (C) Poloff delivered the message and request in reftel A on September 19 to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Acting Senior Coordinator for South Asia Agnes Christelet. While undertaking to review the request, Christelet informally expressed doubt that the GOS would find the necessary do [...] |
2008-10-10 13:54:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL PGOV MASS AF SZ |
| 08BERN526 |
GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM: [...] No summary [...] |
2008-10-10 14:40:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | PARM PTER MNUC KGIC SZ |
| 08BERN527 |
LIECHTENSTEIN DIALOGUE: THE FUTURE OF BANK SECRECY [...] (U) Summary. At the annual forum "Liechtenstein Dialogue," bankers and financial wealth management companies met in Liechtenstein to discuss private wealth management, and more particularly the future vision of a financial center built on banking secrecy. While the panel speakers ranged fro [...] |
2008-10-10 14:44:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ETRD SZ |
| 08BERN528 |
IMPLEMENTING UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS ON [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the message in reftel on October 2 to Roland Vock, Head of the Export Controls Sanctions Policy Division of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Vock commented that UNSCR 1835 reaffirmed the requirements of the previous sanctions UNSCRs on Iran, but did no [...] |
2008-10-10 15:09:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM MNUC KNNP UN IR SZ |
| 08BERN552 |
DAS GARBER'S MEETINGS WITH SWISS AND LIECHTENSTEIN [...] (SBU) Summary: During an October 20 meeting with DAS Garber, senior Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) contacts outlined their priorities for U.S.-Swiss relations. EDA Americas Division Head Yvonne Baumann requested support for another round of senior-level U.S.-Swiss bilateral meeting [...] |
2008-10-29 09:34:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EFIN SZ |
| 08BERN557 |
(S) EFFORTS BY NORTH KOREA TO PROCURE CONTROLLED [...] (S) Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Control Licensing Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), contacted poloff on October 21 regarding the attempt by a North Korean firm to obtain a machine tool from Swiss firm Schaublin Machines (reftels). Boehler expressed a [...] |
2008-10-30 11:23:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM ETTC MNUC SZ |
| 08BERN558 |
IRAN'S NOVEMBER 30 NUCLEAR CONFERENCE: GOS HAS [...] (U) Poloff conveyed the reftel message on October 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), and to Erwin Bollinger, Head of the Export Controls and Sanctions Policy Division at the Swiss State Secretariat [...] |
2008-10-30 13:01:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL AORC ENRG MNUC IR SZ |
| 08BERN563 |
DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL IRANIAN ENTITIES AND [...] (U) Poloff delivered the message in reftel on October 29 to Alessandro Capelli, Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and to Rene Bruelhart, Director Financial Intelligence Unit, National Administration of the Principality of Liechtenstein. 2. (SB [...] |
2008-11-03 15:16:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM KNNP MNUC PREL EFIN IR SZ |
| 08BERN564 |
TERRORISM FINANCE: DESIGNATION OF GULF-BASED AL- [...] (U) Poloff delivered the message in reftel on October 29 to Alessandro Capelli, Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and to Rene Bruelhart, Director Financial Intelligence Unit, National Administration of the Principality of Liechtenstein. 2. (SB [...] |
2008-11-03 15:17:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTFN EFIN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC SZ |
| 08BERN570 |
LEVERAGING FATF STATEMENT ON IRAN: SWISS ARE [...] (SBU) Econoff delivered message in reftel to Riccardo Sansonetti, Head of International Finance and Monetary Policy Division, Swiss Federal Department of Finance. Sansonetti reported that he was in attendance at the FATF meeting the week of October 13 and was aware of the declaration and gui [...] |
2008-11-06 16:17:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PARM PREL EFIN KNNP SZ |
| 08BERN573 |
AFGHANISTAN: SEEKING SWISS SUPPORT FOR THE AFGHAN [...] (C) Poloff delivered the reftel A message on November 6 to Pierre-Yves Fux, Senior Coordinator for South Asia at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Fux was not aware of the UNDP "basket fund" and appreciated the information. He noted that Switzerland has made a multi-year [...] |
2008-11-07 14:00:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PREL AF SZ |
| 08BERN592 |
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT:SWISS DELEGATION [...] (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel points on November 20 to Marcus Eggenberger, Programme Manager, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Department of Foreign Affairs. Eggenberger reported that the Swiss position remains the same as provided in the Swiss discussion paper located on [...] |
2008-11-21 14:04:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAID UNGA SZ |
| 08BERN594 |
IRAN/CRYSTAL OSCILLATORS: SWISS OFFICIALS ENGAGED [...] (U) Contains action request; please see para 5. 2. (S) Poloff delivered the reftel A non-paper on November 18 to Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Controls Licensing Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Boehler informed poloff that SECO had placed Swiss fi [...] |
2008-11-21 15:16:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE MNUC ETTC IR SZ |
| 08BERN599 |
LIECHTENSTEIN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE REGARDING UNGA [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the message in reftel to Doris Frick, DCM of the Liechtenstein Embassy in Bern on November 24. Frick noted that Liechtenstein consistently has voted in line with EU consensus on such UN resolutions. She could make no commitments regarding how Liechtenstein will vote at [...] |
2008-11-24 16:23:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL UNGA IS |
| 08BERN600 |
IAEA REPORTS ON IRANIAN AND SYRIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMS [...] (U) Poloff delivered the message in reftel on November 24 to Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section and POC for IAEA issues at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). ---- IRAN ---- 2. (C) Praz said that the GOS was not surprised by the latest [...] |
2008-11-24 18:18:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM IAEA KNNP MNUC IR SY |
| 08BERN601 |
FOLLOW-UP WITH NSG PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS ON [...] (C) Poloff reiterated message in reftel A on November 24 to Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Praz responded that the GOS has not been invited to attend the November 30 conference in Iran. He added th [...] |
2008-11-24 18:31:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP MNUC IR |
| 08BERN603 |
SYRIAN REQUEST FOR IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION: [...] (C) CDA delivered the message in reftel A at 09:20 hrs (CET) on November 25 to Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Head of the Political Secretariat (Security Policy Division) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Pitteloud responded that the GOS shares USG concerns regarding IAEA tec [...] |
2008-11-26 09:51:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP IAEA SY SZ |
| 08BERN605 |
LIECHTENSTEIN VOTING PLANS REGARDING UNGA [...] (SBU) Further to reftel B, Doris Frick, DCM of the Liechtenstein Embassy in Bern, informed poloff on November 26 that the GOL will abstain on the resolutions reaffirming three UN bodies (i.e., The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (62/80); Division f [...] |
2008-11-26 12:48:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL UNGA IS |
| 08BERN610 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE REGARDING HELSINKI OSCE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the message in reftel to Lukas Rosenkranz, Head of the OSCE Office within the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EDA), on December 1. The reftel talking points largely were familiar to Rosenkranz, who noted that he had heard the same issues raised by the USG through his [...] |
2008-12-02 13:11:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | OSCE PREL PHUM KDEM GG RU SZ |
| 08BERN612 |
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SWITZERLAND AND THE [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-02 14:39:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ECON ETRD PHUM EFIN SZ |
| 08BERN618 |
CONVENTION ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS AND [...] (SBU) Poloff discussed message in reftel A on December 1 with Daniel Klingele, Head of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Klingele reported that FM Calmy-Rey would travel to Oslo to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) f [...] |
2008-12-03 16:06:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM NATO MOPS PREL SZ |
| 08BERN62 |
KOSOVO: DEFENDING THE U.S. POSITION IN THE OSCE [...] (C) A/POL Counselor delivered the message in reftel on February 12 to Sabrina Dallafior, Head of the MFA Office for OSCE Affairs, and to Didier Chassot, MFA Regional Coordinator for Southeastern Europe. Dallafior already was aware of the issue. She and Chassot agreed that an attempt by Serbia [...] |
2008-02-12 16:28:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL UNAUS UNMIK OSCE YI SZ |
| 08BERN621 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO AMENDED LACEY ACT [...] (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel points to the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) Americas Officer Guido Barsuglia on December 3. Barsuglia reported that the Swiss intend to file comments against the Lacey amendments, specifically in regards to the plant import declaration. The comm [...] |
2008-12-05 06:14:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV EAID EAGR ETRD EINV BTIO SZ |
| 08BERN633 |
SWISS CABINET ELECTIONS: UELI MAURER TO [...] (U) Swiss People's Party (SVP) candidate Ueli Maurer was elected December 10 by a joint session of the Swiss Parliament into the seven-member Federal Council (Executive Cabinet). In what was expected to be a narrow contest, Maurer won by a single vote, garnering 122 of the 243 valid ballots c [...] |
2008-12-11 15:43:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL SZ |
| 08BERN636 |
SWISS REACTION TO PREVENTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF [...] (C) Poloff delivered the reftel A nonpaper to Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), on December 8. Referring to Israel and Syria as "the aggressor and the aggressed," Praz noted that the Swiss had called on [...] |
2008-12-12 10:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM KNNP MNUC IAEA TRGY SY IR SZ |
| 08BERN639 |
DEMARCHE ON UNITED NATIONS HARMONIZATION OF [...] (U) On December 11, poloff delivered the message in reftel to Frank Gruetter, Deputy Head of UN Coordination at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), and to Doris Frick, DCM at the Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Bern. Neither Gruetter nor Frick had any immed [...] |
2008-12-15 15:23:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AMGT AORC APER PREL UNGA SZ LS |
| 08BERN650 |
CIVIL NUCLEAR WORKING GROUP OF THE TRADE PROMOTION COORDINATING COMMITTEE (TPCC) REQUESTS INFORMATION SUPPORT ON COUNTRIES' PLANS TO EXPAND NUCLEAR ENERGY: SWITZERLAND [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-19 11:36:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP BTIO ENRG SZ TRGY |
| 08BERN655 |
SWISS REACTION TO CALL FOR FREEZING [...] (SBU) Poloff shared reftel talking points with Nora Kronig, Regional Coordinator for Central and South America at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), and Mathias Domenig, South American Desk Officer for EDA, on December 22. In response to the USG call to freeze non-humanita [...] |
2008-12-23 16:30:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID PGOV PREL NU SZ |
| 08BERN656 |
INFORMING SWITZERLAND OF THE FIFTH GLOBAL [...] Poloff coordinated with local Dutch embassy DCM Karin Moessenlechner to deliver the reftel announcement to appropriate Swiss government colleagues regarding the Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT), which will be hosted by the Netherlands in June 2 [...] |
2008-12-24 07:17:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | KGIC PARM PINR PINS PREL PTER SZ |
| 08BERN74 |
HCOC: ENCOURAGING SUBSCRIBING STATES TO SUBMIT [...] No summary [...] |
2008-02-15 21:02:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ETTC MTCRE MNUC PREL TSPA SZ |
| 08BERN75 |
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2008-02-15 21:15:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM KNNP MNUC IAEA IR SZ |
| 08BERN94 |
SWISS EXPRESS SIMILAR VIEWS ON CUBA [...] (C) We delivered the message in reftel A to Urs Hammer, Deputy Director of the MFA Americas Division, and to Werner Thut, MFA Regional Coordinator for Canada, Mexico, and the Northern Caribbean. Hammer said that Switzerland's policy was "similar to, if not the same as" that of the USG, in ass [...] |
2008-02-25 16:38:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM EU CU SZ |
| 09BERN104 |
SWISS-LIBYAN RELATIONS: SWITZERLAND IN REBUFF [...] (S) Summary: In a March 10 meeting, the Swiss MFA Director for Security Policy, Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, updated Charge on the status of the ongoing crisis in Swiss-Libyan relations triggered last July when Geneva cantonal police temporarily arrested Hannibal Gaddafi, son of Libyan lead [...] |
2009-03-11 11:50:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PHUM PREL PGOV SZ |
| 09BERN108 |
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT): SWISS [...] (C) Summary: The Swiss government generally believes that the U.S. Administration has outlined a "good agenda" for the NPT, particularly with regard to disarmament and arms control issues. Switzerland has sponsored UN resolutions on de-alerting nuclear weapons, and will continue to do so. Fo [...] |
2009-03-11 16:31:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MNUC KNNP AORC PREL UNGA IAEA SZ |
| 09BERN109 |
BERN SEPQ MARCH 2009 [...] (SBU) The following are responses to the Security Environment Profile Questionnaire for political violence and terrorism for the U.S. Embassy in Bern, and are keyed to the reftel. 2. (SBU) Political Violence -------------------------- I. (SBU) Demonstrations A. Are there any ethnic or [...] |
2009-03-11 16:38:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | ASEC PTER SV |
| 09BERN111 |
TIP - LIECHTENSTEIN: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN [...] No summary [...] |
2009-03-13 18:10:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF ELAB LS |
| 09BERN118 |
SWISS FIRM QUARTZCOM SAYS IT WILL ABANDON [...] (S) Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Control Licensing Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) contacted poloff March 17 to provide an update on the case of Swiss firm Quartzcom AG (reftels). Boehler told poloff that he had met March 16 with Quartzcom's managemen [...] |
2009-03-17 16:29:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE MNUC ETTC SZ IR AE |
| 09BERN122 |
SWISS RELAXATION OF BANKING SECRECY: WHAT DOES IT \ [...] (C) The Swiss Federal Council on March 13 announced that \ Switzerland intends to adopt the OECD standard on \ administrative assistance in tax matters in accordance with \ Art. 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention. Ambassador Manuel \ Sager, Head of the Foreign Ministry's Sectoral Policy \ Divisio [...] |
2009-03-19 09:55:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN EINV ECON SZ |
| 09BERN124 |
GICNT: SEOUL WORKSHOP AND EPG (APRIL 14-16) [...] (SBU) On March 19, poloff delivered reftel messages to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Friedrich is the Swiss national point-of-contact for the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). Poloff [...] |
2009-03-19 16:58:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MNUC PARM PTER PREL KGIC SZ |
| 09BERN127 |
NATO KFOR MISSION: SWISS NOT PLANNING ANY CHANGES \ [...] (C) Acting POL-ECON Counselor and DAO representative \ delivered the reftel message on March 19 to Marlene Odermatt, \ Policy Advisor for International Relations and Strategy at \ the Swiss Federal Ministry of Defense. Odermatt said that \ Switzerland has no plans to change its current force \ con [...] |
2009-03-20 16:40:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MARR NATO KPKO KV SZ |
| 09BERN129 |
TOUR D'HORIZON WITH NESTLE: FORGET THE GLOBAL [...] (SBU) Nestle, the world's largest food company, worries more about the planet's growing fresh water shortage than the current financial crisis, which it sees as only a bump in the road in the firm's long-term development. Nestle estimates the upper limit on sustainable global fresh water withd [...] |
2009-03-24 16:29:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV SZ TBIO |
| 09BERN132 |
NEW GOVERNMENT FORMED IN LIECHTENSTEIN [...] (SBU) The Patriotic Union (Vaterlaendische Union, VU) party of Liechtenstein won an absolute majority of parliamentary (Landtag) seats in the February 8 national elections (reftel). In the wake of this surprising outcome, the VU could have opted to seek to form a government alone, without the [...] |
2009-03-26 16:32:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL LS |
| 09BERN136 |
CONCLUSIONS OF AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN STRATEGIC [...] (SBU) Poloff provided a copy of the White Paper in reftel A on March 27 to Pierre-Yves Fux, Senior Regional Coordinator for Southern Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Fux appreciated the information, which he said was timely, not only with regard to the upcoming intern [...] |
2009-03-27 17:05:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL MARR MOPS EAID PTER PGOV PK AF SZ |
| 09BERN137 |
SWISS VIEWS ON ABKHAZIA/SOUTH OSSETIA AND RUSSIAN [...] (C) Poloff delivered the reftel A message March 20 to Norbert Baerlocher, Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Baerlocher underlined that Switzerland shares USG concerns regarding Russian basing plans and regarding any a [...] |
2009-03-27 17:50:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MOPS PBTS GG RS SZ |
| 09BERN139 |
SWISS PLAN TO FILE BRIEF WITH ICJ IN SUPPORT OF [...] (SBU) Poloff discussed the message in ref A on March 30 with Didier Chassot, Regional Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Chassot informed poloff that Switzerland plans to file a brief with the ICJ "making a broad case" in support of Kosovo [...] |
2009-03-30 16:00:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC PREL ICJ KV SZ |
| 09BERN169 |
SWISS LINK TAX AGREEMENT RENEGOTIATIONS WITH UBS \ [...] (SBU) The Swiss Federal Counsel announced on April 8 that \ the first renegotiated double taxation agreement to include \ the new OECD Article 26 provisions on administrative \ assistance will be subject to an optional public referendum. \ Subsequent agreements will not be submitted to the referen [...] |
2009-04-09 14:33:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN ECON SZ |
| 09BERN171 |
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN: REQUESTING ADDITIONAL SWISS [...] (U) Poloff delivered the messages in reftels A and B on April 8 to Pierre-Yves Fux, Senior Regional Coordinator for Southern Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). ----------- AFGHANISTAN ----------- 2. (C) Fux lauded the detailed USG non-paper (reftel A) outlining s [...] |
2009-04-09 17:41:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EAID MARR NATO AF SZ |
| 09BERN175 |
MADAGASCAR: SWISS AGREE WITH USG POINTS ON URGING [...] (C) Poloff delivered the message in reftel on April 15 to Anja Zobrist Rentenaar, Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Rentenaar mentioned that the FDFA (at least not in Bern) thus far had not been approached by the EU to discuss Madagasc [...] |
2009-04-15 16:49:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAID MA SZ |
| 09BERN199 |
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: RESPONSES OF SWITZERLAND [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the reftel B advance notice of U.S. candidacy on April 1 to Ralf Heckner, Head of the Human Rights Section at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). On April 17, poloff delivered the reftel A diplomatic note to Heckner. He informally welcomed the U.S. [...] |
2009-05-05 10:40:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM AORC PREL SZ LS |
| 09BERN213 |
SWITZERLAND'S VOTING PLAN IN IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL [...] (C) Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Director for Arms Control and Disarmament, Andreas Friedrich, told poloff on May 11 in response to reftel demarche that Switzerland would most likely support the election of Yukiya Amano of Japan as Director General in the upcoming IAEA e [...] |
2009-05-12 11:55:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | SZ IAEA KNNP AORC PREL |
| 09BERN214 |
SWITZERLAND: RESPONSE TO REVIEW FOR SUSPENSION OF [...] (C) Summary and Comment: Post assesses that the Swiss government has worked to promote the advancement of democracy and human rights in Cuba, having made those key features of a bilateral dialogue with the Cuban government that began in January 2006. A decision not to renew Title III suspensi [...] |
2009-05-13 14:01:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD ETTC PREL CU SZ |
| 09BERN220 |
SWISS REFERENDUM APPROVES UNIVERSAL BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS [...] By the narrowest of margins, Swiss voters May 17 approved the country's transition next year to only biometric passports. With 1.9 million voters participating (38% of the eligible electorate, according to Swiss papers), the "yes" vote (for only biometric passports) garnered 50.14% (953,136 v [...] |
2009-05-18 13:07:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS CMGT KPAO PBTS PREL SZ |
| 09BERN222 |
SWISS-ORIGIN DIGITAL MAGNETIC COMPASSES SOUGHT BY [...] (S) Embassy passed reftel points to Swiss Economics Department dual use office head Juergen Boehler on May 19. Boehler thanked us for the information and said that the Swiss Government would immediately look into the matter. Boehler noted that Swiss Customs had instituted recently a policy of [...] |
2009-05-19 13:37:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | IR SZ PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA |
| 09BERN23 |
UPDATE OF SWISS RESPONSE TO FINANCIAL CRISIS [...] Summary. Switzerland's economic outlook has steadily declined over the past three months with negative growth forecasts, increased unemployment, and industrial sectors starting to show the signs of stress. Despite the economic downturn, bank lending practices have not been impacted. The GO [...] |
2009-01-13 10:18:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN ECON SZ |
| 09BERN241 |
SWITZERLAND SUPPORTS RENEWAL OF MANDATE FOR THE [...] (C) Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Ambassador Andrea Semadeni, Special Envoy for the Sudan and the Horn of Africa, and Esther Keimer, FDFA program officer for Sub-Saharan Africa, told poloff on June 4 in response to reftel demarche that Switzerland was in favor of renewing t [...] |
2009-06-05 10:55:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | AORC PHUM PREL SZ |
| 09BERN243 |
SWITZERLAND NOT SUPPORTIVE OF IAEA BUDGET INCREASE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the reftel message on June 4 to Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and the FDFA's point-of-contact for IAEA issues. Praz said that the GoS has a general policy of advocating [...] |
2009-06-05 16:51:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC ENRG IAEA KNNP PREL UN SZ |
| 09BERN249 |
A/USTR WILSON'S MEETINGS WITH SWISS OFFICIALS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East Chris Wilson and Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Head of Bilateral Economic Relations Ambassador Monika Ruehl co-chaired a Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum ("Forum") meeting on June 2. [...] |
2009-06-10 14:56:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD SZ |
| 09BERN251 |
U.S. CANDIDATE FOR UN INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the reftel demarche on June 10 to Philippe Flueck, Deputy Head of Section for UN and Other International Organization Affairs (and POC for UN/IO candidacies) at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Flueck did not comment substantively on the U.S. cand [...] |
2009-06-12 15:01:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL AORC APER UNGA SZ LS |
| 09BERN253 |
NUCLEAR FUEL BANK: SWISS FAVOR COMMERCIAL SUPPLY [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel message June 4 to Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and the FDFA's point-of-contact for IAEA issues. Praz said that, while not opposed in principle to the idea of a n [...] |
2009-06-15 16:16:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM ENRG KNNP TRGY IAEA |
| 09BERN257 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON EUROPEAN SECURITY [...] (C) On June 18, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) OSCE Section Head Lukas Rosenkranz told poloff in response to reftel demarche regarding the upcoming 27-28 June 2009 informal OSCE Ministerial in Corfu, Greece, that Switzerland welcomed the Greek initiative to host informal di [...] |
2009-06-19 14:07:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM OSCE PREL NATO PGOV PHUM ECON SZ |
| 09BERN260 |
GUANTANAMO CLOSURE: SWISS EAGER TO MOVE ON \ [...] (S) Summary: Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure Dan \ Fried discussed prospective Guantanamo detainee resettlement \ cases on June 19 with Michael Ambuehl, State Secretary \ (Deputy Minister) of the Federal Department of Foreign \ Affairs (FDFA). Referring to the case files that the GoS \ alrea [...] |
2009-06-23 10:45:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | KAWC PHUM PREL PTER SZ |
| 09BERN269 |
JULY 4TH RECEPTION INVITATION TO IRANIAN [...] (SBU) On June 25, per instructions in reftel A, post rescinded its "July 4th" reception invitation to Iranian Ambassador to Switzerland Keyvan Imani. CARTER [...] |
2009-06-25 15:48:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ODIP IR SZ |
| 09BERN273 |
SWITZERLAND SHUTTING DOWN COLENCO'S BUSINESS WITH [...] (S) Summary: Swiss Minister for Economics and Trade Doris Leuthard called CDA in to advise that the Swiss Federal Councilors had decided in a special session to shut down Swedish firm Colenco's commercial activities in Iran. The Minister also reaffirmed the commitment of the Swiss government to [...] |
2009-07-01 19:11:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | IR MNUC PARM PHUM PREL PTER KWAC ECON ETRD |
| 09BERN278 |
(S) POSSIBLE EFFORT BY SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM TO [...] (S) On July 2, acting POLE counselor delivered the non-paper in reftel to Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Control Licensing Division of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Boehler expressed appreciation for the information. He said that he was not aware of a possible effor [...] |
2009-07-02 19:27:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY |
| 09BERN279 |
(S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \ [...] (S) On July 3, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs \ (SECO) Head of Export Control Licensing Division Juergen \ Boehler provided additional information in response to ref A \ non-paper. Boehler confirmed that the planned export of the \ high speed camera has been stopped. AOS Technologies had [...] |
2009-07-06 07:31:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY |
| 09BERN281 |
UNSC 1718 COMMITTEE DESIGNATION OF DPRK ENTITIES [...] (S) On July 2, Swiss Department of Economic Affairs (SECO) Deputy Head of Sanctions Thomas Graf informed econoff in response to reftel non-paper that Lloyds TSB Bank in Geneva does not maintain commercial relations with Tanchon Commercial Bank nor does it hold Tanchon Commercial Bank funds. G [...] |
2009-07-07 13:41:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | EFIN ETTC KNNP PREL PARM SZ |
| 09BERN286 |
SWISS RESPONSE: GLOBAL ACTION ON FOOD SECURITY [...] (C) Econoff delivered reftel points to Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG) Head of International Sustainable Agriculture Unit Francois Pythoud and Senior Officer Hubert Poffet. In general, Pythoud welcomed the new U.S. approach towards food security. He stated that the five principles as o [...] |
2009-07-08 14:40:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR EAID PREL SZ |
| 09BERN287 |
UN 1267 SANCTIONS: RESULT OF USG REVIEW OF TRANCHE [...] (C) Econoff delivered reftel talking points to Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Coordinator on Counter-Terrorism Alessandro Capelli on July 8. Capelli welcomed the news that the USG will formally seek the delisting of Nada and the two entities related to Nada. He also took [...] |
2009-07-09 14:15:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN KTFN PREL PTER UNSC SZ |
| 09BERN309 |
SPP TEHRAN: REPORT OF AMERICANS IN IRAN [...] No summary [...] |
2009-07-22 14:39:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | CASC IR SZ |
| 09BERN314 |
64TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: PRELIMINARY INFORMATION [...] (SBU) Poloff received the following information from Frank Gruetter, Deputy UN Affairs Coordinator in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), regarding three high-level Swiss officials who likely will attend the 64th UN General Assembly. Gruetter said this list of representativ [...] |
2009-07-24 14:44:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KSEP PREL OTRA OVIP CVIS UNGA SZ |
| 09BERN315 |
POSSIBLE EFFORT BY SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM TO [...] (S) On July 27, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Head of Export Control Licensing Division Juergen Boehler contacted acting POLE counselor to report additional information he thought potentially relevant to the recent possible effort by Syria's missile program to obtain a high-spe [...] |
2009-07-27 13:41:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA PINR SZ SY |
| 09BERN316 |
UPDATE: POSSIBLE EFFORT BY SYRIA'S MISSILE [...] (S) On July 28, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Head of Export Control Licensing Division Juergen Boehler contacted acting POLE counselor to report that he had decided upon further reflection that he would notify MTCR points-of-contact of this second "denial." (reftel A) Boehler [...] |
2009-07-28 12:17:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA PINR SZ SY |
| 09BERN322 |
SWISS INITIATIVES TO COUNTER TORTURE [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel request July 27 to Ralf Heckner, Head of the Human Rights Policy Section in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Heckner was encouraged by the recent USG response to the issue of torture, noting that the decision to close the detention center a [...] |
2009-08-03 06:10:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM UN SZ |
| 09BERN330 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE SEEKING DONOR SUPPORT [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on August 7 to Anja Zobrist-Rentenaar, Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and Jenny Piaget, Deputy Regional Coordinator. Piaget responded that Swiss government funding for Somalia is solely [...] |
2009-08-07 13:44:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER KPKO PGOV EAID SO SZ |
| 09BERN341 |
SWITZERLAND EXPECTS TO ATTEND G-8 BMENA FORUM FOR [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel message on August 14 to Rascha Osman, Deputy Regional Coordinator for the Middle East at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Osman reiterated Switzerland's support for the BMENA Forum for the Future (FfF) and confirmed that the GoS will participate i [...] |
2009-08-14 14:53:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PREL KMPI KPAO KDEM SZ |
| 09BERN350 |
SWISS REACTION TO UBS AGREEMENT \ [...] (C) Summary. President and Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf \ Merz, Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, and Foreign \ Affairs Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey in an August 19 press \ conference praised the UBS agreement as the only possible \ solution and a "Peace Treaty." The Ministers were quick [...] |
2009-08-20 15:10:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL SZ |
| 09BERN351 |
SWISS PRESIDENT MERZ APOLOGIZES TO LIBYA FOR \ [...] (S/NF) In a bid to win the freedom of two Swiss citizens \ who have not been permitted to leave Libya for over a year, \ Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz traveled to Tripoli August \ 20 and met with Libyan Prime Minister ElBaghdadi Mahmudi. \ The unannounced visit culminated with Merz making a publ [...] |
2009-08-24 05:53:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL PHUM ETRD SZ |
| 09BERN362 |
NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT) REVIEW [...] (C) Summary: The Swiss government strongly supports entry into force of the CTBT, negotiations on a verifiable FMCT, and efforts to reinforce the NPT, particularly with regard to disarmament and arms control issues. The Swiss welcome U.S.-Russian nuclear disarmament negotiations, and are con [...] |
2009-08-31 22:38:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA |
| 09BERN363 |
SWISS AMBASSADOR TO IRAN COMMENTS ON ASSISTING [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Leu emphasized that Switzerland, in its capacity as Protecting Power for the USG in Iran, continues to press for access and information about U.S. citizens detained or missing in Iran. Regarding the recent case of the three U.S. hikers (Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, and [...] |
2009-09-01 09:37:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | CASC PREL PHUM PGOV KNNP SZ IR |
| 09BERN364 |
DEMARCHE ON FOOD SECURITY: SWISS RESPONSE [...] (C) Econoff delivered reftel points to Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation (SDC) Deputy Head of Global Food Security Lillian Ortega and Department of Agriculture (DOA) Head Director for Global Sustainable Agriculture Francois Pythoud. Ortega noted that SDC instituted a new global pro [...] |
2009-09-01 12:08:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR EAID ETRD SZ |
| 09BERN370 |
COLENCO WILL NOT CHALLENGE SWISS GOVERNMENT [...] (S) Swiss State Secretary for Economics and Trade Affairs Jean-Daniel Gerber informed Ambassador Beyer on September 3 that the Swedish-owned, Switzerland-based firm Colenco will not challenge the Swiss government's decision to shut down its commercial activities in Iran. According to Gerber, [...] |
2009-09-04 09:57:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MNUC ETTC KNNP PREL ETRD IR SZ |
| 09BERN371 |
SWISS VIEWS ON THE LATEST IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND [...] (C) Summary: The Swiss share our general analysis of the IAEA reports on Iran and Syria. They are curious to know how the recent P5-plus-1 Political Directors meeting and "package" proposal announced by Tehran might affect the calculus with Iran. The main point of contact for IAEA issues at [...] |
2009-09-04 17:32:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM KNNP IAEA MNUC PREL SY IR SZ |
| 09BERN381 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR ORAL STATEMENTS FOR [...] (C) Poloff delivered reftel talking points on September 3 to Didier Chassot, Regional Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Chassot noted that Switzerland was still considering whether to deliver an oral statement supporting Kosovo at t [...] |
2009-09-11 09:29:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | AORC PREL ICJ KV SZ |
| 09BERN382 |
ISRAEL'S MEMBERSHIP IN JUSCANZ: LIECHTENSTEIN [...] (C) Acting POLE Counselor pressed reftel message on September 9 with Andrea Hoch, Coordinator for UN Human Rights Affairs at the Liechtenstein Foreign Office. Hoch took the USG's arguments on board, but said that the GoL had not focused on this issue since last year, and would need to review [...] |
2009-09-11 09:46:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL AORC PHUM IS LS |
| 09BERN389 |
NEW SWISS FEDERAL COUNCILOR DIDIER BURKHALTER [...] (SBU) Summary: A joint session of the Swiss Parliament on September 16 elected Council of States (Upper House) Member Didier Burkhalter to replace Pascal Couchepin on the Federal Council (Swiss Executive Cabinet). The special mid-term election was scheduled after Couchepin announced earlier t [...] |
2009-09-16 16:19:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PINR SZ |
| 09BERN390 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO PERSUADING THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI [...] (C) Poloffs delivered reftel A talking points on September 11, 2009 to Pierre-Yves Fux, Senior Regional Coordinator for Southern Asia at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and one of his deputies, Yves Nicolet. Fux and Nicolet noted that the GOS was in agreement with the US [...] |
2009-09-16 16:32:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM PREF PTER MASS SOCI EAID CE SZ |
| 09BERN395 |
SWISS RESPONSE: DONOR SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA, KENYA, [...] Econoff delivered reftel A points to Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Regional Coordinator for Northern Subsaharan Africa Urs Beer in July. After consulting with his his colleagues in the Humanitarian Aid Department of the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC) regarding donor su [...] |
2009-09-18 07:29:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID PREF EAGR SZ |
| 09BERN397 |
IRAN: SWISS DEPUTY FM ADVOCATES BILATERAL TRACK [...] (S) Ambassador conveyed the message in reftel A in a September 14 meeting with Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) State Secretary (Deputy FM) Michael Ambuehl. Referring to news reports that the P5-plus-1 planned to meet with Iranian representatives on October 1, Ambuehl termed the P5 [...] |
2009-09-18 14:33:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM KNNP MNUC PREL IR SZ |
| 09BERN406 |
FOLLOW-UP ON PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO EXPAND [...] (U) Embassy pol-econ counselor delivered reftel points to Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) International Affairs Office Vice Director Dr. Gaudenz Silberschmidt MD. on September 25. Silberschmidt indicated that his office would be the coordinating center for Switzerland's participa [...] |
2009-09-25 14:58:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | KFLU AORC PREL SZ |
| 09BERN411 |
64TH UNGA: REQUEST TO DEFER RESOLUTION ON [...] (SBU) Acting POLE counselor conveyed the request in reftel A on September 28 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich took careful note of the request, but said that he would have to consult further [...] |
2009-09-29 17:48:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM MNUC PREL SZ |
| 09BERN432 |
SCENESETTER: YOUR OCTOBER 10 VISIT TO ZURICH [...] (S) I and the rest of the Embassy Bern team are looking forward to your visit with great anticipation in what promises to be a landmark event in Armenian-Turkish relations with lasting benefits for Euro-Atlantic security. Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey is riding high on a series of foreign policy succe [...] |
2009-10-08 10:33:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PREL OVIP SZ |
| 09BERN443 |
SWISS CAMPAIGN AGAINST PROPOSED OFFSHORE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Swiss embassy in Washington raised concerns with post and USTR regarding a draft U.S. offshore reinsurance tax bill. SECO argues that the draft bill if enacted will violate both the U.S.-Swiss Double Taxation Treaty an [...] |
2009-10-14 12:51:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EFIN SZ |
| 09BERN452 |
SECRETARY CLINTON'S PARTICIPATION IN THE 2009 G-8 [...] (SBU) Acting POLE counselor conveyed reftel A message on October 21 to Patric Franzen, Regional Coordinator for Middle East Affairs at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Franzen expressed appreciation for the information. He commented that the fact that Secretary Clinton plans t [...] |
2009-10-22 17:58:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL OPDC ECON KPAO KDEM KMPI SZ |
| 09BERN470 |
UNGA DISCUSSION OF GOLDSTONE REPORT [...] (C) Summary: The Swiss government has some understanding for USG concerns regarding the Goldstone Report and the resolution that will be discussed at the UN General Assembly on November 4. The Swiss, however, do not share all of these concerns, and generally have a sympathetic view of the Go [...] |
2009-11-03 18:06:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM PTER KPAL IS SZ LS |
| 09BERN471 |
UN INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (ICSC) [...] (SBU) On November 3, Christine Lingg, who covers UN candidacy issues for the Liechtenstein Foreign Office, informed acting POLE counselor that Liechtenstein will support U.S. candidate Lucretia Myers at the upcoming UNGA elections for the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). ----- [...] |
2009-11-04 15:38:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL AORC APER UNGA SZ LS |
| 09BERN472 |
64TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY/THIRD COMMITTEE: [...] (SBU) Summary: Switzerland and Liechtenstein reject "no action" motions as a matter of principle, and they expect to support the UNGA Third Committee resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Burma, and the DPRK. They also plan to support the USG's biennial resolution on free elect [...] |
2009-11-04 16:55:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL UN SZ LS |
| 09BERN478 |
IMF STAND-BY ARRANGEMENT REVIEW: SWISS ALSO [...] (SBU) Acting POLE counselor conveyed reftel points November 5 to Pierre-Yves Fux, Senior Regional Coordinator for Southern Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and to Riccardo Sansonetti, Head of the International Finance and Monetary Policy Division at the Federal Departm [...] |
2009-11-05 15:31:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID ECON EFIN PREL PHUM PREF CE SZ |
| 09BERN494 |
SWISS SUPPORT U.S. CANDIDACY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL [...] (SBU) Department of Foreign Affairs US Desk Officer Alexandra Baumann informed econoff on November 18 that Switzerland will support the U.S. candidacy for re-election to Category A membership in the Council of the International Maritime Organization. BEYER [...] |
2009-11-18 14:00:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC EWWT PHSA UK SZ |
| 09BERN498 |
QUARTZCOM: CONCERN ABOUT SWISS FIRM'S ENGAGEMENT [...] (S) Poloff delivered the reftel non-paper on November 10 to Pierre-Andre Farine, Acting Director of the Export Controls Section, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Farine thanked poloff for the information and undertook to look into the matter. 2. (S) On November 20, Juer [...] |
2009-11-20 16:39:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MNUC PREL ETTC SY SZ |
| 09BERN500 |
SWITZERLAND: RESPONSE TO REVIEW FOR SUSPENSION OF [...] (C) Summary and Comment: Post assesses that the Swiss government has worked to promote the advancement of democracy and human rights in Cuba, having made those key features of a bilateral dialogue with the Cuban government that began in January 2006. A decision not to renew Title III suspensi [...] |
2009-11-23 11:56:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD ETTC PREL CU SZ |
| 09BERN504 |
SWITZERLAND OPTING FOR PRESSURE (VICE FURTHER [...] (S/NF) Summary: The Swiss government is opting for pressure -- rather than further negotiations -- in efforts to obtain the freedom of the two Swiss citizens who have not been allowed to depart Libya since the summer of 2008 (reftels). According to Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud (strictly prot [...] |
2009-11-24 15:22:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL PHUM AORC LY SZ |
| 09BERN505 |
IAEA BOG: SWISS VIEWS REGARDING IRAN, SYRIA, AND [...] (C) Summary: Poloff discussed messages in reftels on November 24 with Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and with Jean-Daniel Praz, Friedrich's deputy and FDFA point-of-contact for IAEA issues. Friedrich an [...] |
2009-11-24 16:52:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM IAEA KNNP SY IR SZ |
| 09BERN506 |
SPP TEHRAN: REPORT OF AMERICANS IN IRAN [...] No summary [...] |
2009-11-25 15:36:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | CASC IR SZ |
| 09BERN507 |
SWISS TO VOTE NOVEMBER 29 ON WHETHER TO SUPPORT [...] (SBU) Summary: On November 29, Swiss citizens will vote nationwide on whether to support a "people's initiative" calling for a ban on the construction of minarets in Switzerland. The initiative was launched by members of rightwing parties. The initiators of the proposal contend that minaret [...] |
2009-11-25 17:35:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV KDEM SZ |
| 09BERN513 |
SWISS VOTERS STUN GOVERNMENT BY APPROVING "MINARET [...] (SBU) In a November 29 nationwide vote, Swiss voters stunned the Swiss government by approving an initiative by rightwing politicians to ban the construction of new minarets in Switzerland (reftel). Subsequent analysis by Swiss commentators suggests that polling data prior to the vote was sk [...] |
2009-11-30 15:19:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KDEM SZ |
| 09BERN514 |
NOMINEES TO ATTEND THE PRESIDENTIAL [...] (SBU) In response to reftel request for post to nominate Switzerland-based entrepreneurs of Muslim faith to attend The Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit, Embassy Bern submits the following nominees: Cebrail Terlemez: Mr. Terlemez is the Secretary General of the Institute for Intercultura [...] |
2009-11-30 16:19:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAID PREL SOCI PHUM XF SZ |
| 09BERN519 |
SWISS STATE SECRETARY AMBUEHL COMMENTS ON IRAN [...] (S) Summary: In a December 2 meeting, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) State Secretary (Deputy FM) Michael Ambuehl provided Ambassador a readout of recent FDFA discussions with Iranian FM Mottaki and the Iranian ambassador in Bern. Ambuehl reported that FM Calmy-Rey had spo [...] |
2009-12-04 14:22:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PREL KNNP CASC MNUC IR SZ |
| 09BERN57 |
ADDITIONAL SWISS INPUT REGARDING CALL FOR FREEZING [...] (SBU) Further to reftel A request for Switzerland to freeze non-humanitarian assistance to Nicaragua following its fraudulent municipal elections of November 9, and reftel B interim response, Nora Kronig, Regional Coordinator for Central and South America at the Swiss Federal Department of For [...] |
2009-02-06 15:39:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PGOV PREL NU SZ |
| 09BERN59 |
PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE GOS ON [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered the reftel non-paper on December 18 to Juergen Boehler, Head of the Export Control Licensing Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Boehler expressed appreciation for the additional information and undertook to investigate the matter further [...] |
2009-02-06 17:49:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PARM MTCRE MNUC ETTC SZ IR AE |
| 09BERN6 |
PASSENGER NAME RECORD AGREEMENT COMPLETED [...] Post delivered the diplomatic note regarding the Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement per reftel instructions to the GOS on December 23, 2008. Post subsequently received the responsive Swiss diplomatic note (number 344.1) also dated December 23, 2008 confirming the agreement was to take eff [...] |
2009-01-07 13:22:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EAIR ECON SZ |
| 09BERN62 |
LIECHTENSTEIN ELECTIONS: CONSERVATIVES WIN [...] (U) In an outcome that surprised Liechtenstein's political class, the conservative Fatherland Union (VU) party won an absolute majority of parliamentary (Landtag) seats in the February 8 elections. With 47,6 percent of the votes, the VU surged back from the historic low of 38,2 percent reached [...] |
2009-02-09 13:16:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL EFIN LS |
| 09BERN64 |
SWISS VOTE TO EXTEND FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS WITH [...] In a nationwide referendum held February 8, nearly 60 percent of the Swiss electorate voted in favor of maintaining an existing agreement with 25 EU states allowing for the free movement of persons, while also extending that agreement to include the newest EU member states, Bulgaria and Roman [...] |
2009-02-10 09:01:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN PGOV SZ |
| 09BERN7 |
SWISS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO UNRWA'S [...] (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel message on January 5 to Thomas Oertle, Desk Officer for Israeli-Palestinian affairs in the Middle East and Africa Division of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Oertle explained that Switzerland already was providing CHF 4 million (USD 3.8 million) in [...] |
2009-01-07 13:26:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PGOV PREL PHUM LE UNRWA SZ |
| 09BERN73 |
SWITZERLAND'S TOP BANKS FACE CONTINUING STRAIN [...] Switzerland's leading banks, UBS and CreditSuisse, reported record-breaking losses in the fourth quarter of 2008, highlighting the continuing financial strain on Switzerland's banking industry. UBS and CreditSuisse announced 2008 annual losses of 17.1 billion USD and 7.1 billion USD, respect [...] |
2009-02-18 12:42:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINV SZ |
| 09BERN74 |
SPP TEHRAN: REPORT OF AMERICANS IN IRAN [...] No summary [...] |
2009-02-19 09:14:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | CASC IR SZ |
| 09BERN83 |
SWITZERLAND: 2009 SPECIAL 301 REVIEW [...] Summary. Post recommends that Switzerland not be listed in the 2008 Special 301 Report. While there are deficiencies in the Swiss Copyright Act implemented in 2008, the new Act further strengthened an already strong system. U.S. industry concerns about the lack of solid protection against i [...] |
2009-02-25 08:38:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON KIPR ETRD EINV SZ |
| 09BERN91 |
UN APPEALS TRIBUNAL: LIECHTENSTEIN TO SUPPORT [...] (SBU) Liechtenstein: On February 27, acting POL/E Counselor followed up on the request for support for the U.S. UNAT candidate (reftels) with Ambassador Hubert Buechel, COM at the Embassy of Liechtenstein in Bern. Ambassador Buechel expressed understanding for the importance of the matter to [...] |
2009-02-27 17:52:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC KAWC KJUS UNGA SZ LS |
| 09BERN92 |
IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND SYRIA [...] (C) Acting POL/E Counselor conveyed the reftel message on February 26 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Friedrich said that he expected that Switzerland will make national statements at the March 2-6 [...] |
2009-02-27 18:17:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM IAEA KNNP MNUC IR SYR TRGY SZ |
| 09BERN93 |
TIP - SWITZERLAND: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] No summary [...] |
2009-03-02 16:35:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF ELAB SZ |
| 09BERN98 |
UBS CASE: SWISS PERSPECTIVE AND A WAY FORWARD \ [...] (C) Summary. UBS' handover of client information to the \ Department of Justice incited criticism in numerous press \ articles and from several Swiss political parties calling the \ U.S. action one of extortion and blackmail. However, the \ step was supported by elements of the moderate to left [...] |
2009-03-04 15:48:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD EINV SZ |
| 09BERN99 |
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON CRITICAL [...] Post has identified two entities that fit into the categories supplied by S/CT: the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and the Swiss banking system. 2. The Swiss pharmaceutical industry is located in Basel and produces internationally recognized products to combat Avian Influenza, cancer, tube [...] |
2009-03-05 15:35:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC ECON PTER PREL PGOV EAID EFIN SZ |
| 10BERN15 |
SWISS AGRICULTURE AT THE CROSSROADS [...] (U) During a January 20 roundtable luncheon on Swiss agriculture hosted by the Ambassador, representatives of the Swiss Government, parliament, and the agricultural media laid out their views on the challenges facing Swiss farmers and the prospects for an EU-Swiss agricultural free trade agree [...] |
2010-01-14 15:45:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON SZ |
| 10BERN21 |
SWISS FIRM QUARTZCOM COLLUDING WITH IRANIAN FRONT [...] Pol-Econ Couns. was called in by Swiss Economics Department Industrial Export Control chief Juergen Boehler on January 15 to discuss reftel case. (Reftel points were previously provided to the Economics Department.) Boehler stated that Swiss authorities are grateful for the U.S. information [...] |
2010-01-19 16:31:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | SZ IR KSCA PARM PREL MNUC ETTC |
| 10BERN25 |
TFHA01: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR HAITI: SWISS [...] Pol-Econ couns. delivered points (reftels A,B,and C) to Swiss Foreign Ministry Americas' Office Deputy Director Daniel Hunn on January 19. Hunn thanked the US for the information and said that Switzerland is grateful that the United States is leading the assistance effort, since it has many ca [...] |
2010-01-22 07:02:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | UN PREF EAID PHUM |
| 10BERN31 |
ENGAGEMENT WITH MUSLIM COMMUNITIES IN SWITZERLAND [...] (SBU) Embassy Bern is taking a multi-disciplinary approach to engagement with Muslim communities in Switzerland, coordinating efforts between the Political-Economic and Public Affairs sections (reftel). Switzerland has a Muslim population of approximately 320,000 (4.3 percent of the total pop [...] |
2010-01-25 21:31:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KISL KPAO PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL SOCI SZ XG |
| 10BERN40 |
BILATERAL DIALOGUE WITH IRAN REGARDING HIKERS? [...] (S) On January 2, 29 and 30, DCM Carter met with Swiss State Secretary Ambuehl and Swiss AMB to Iran Leu, who passed information detailing Swiss conversations with Iranian FM Mottaki on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, during which Swiss FM Calmy-Rey and Mo [...] |
2010-02-01 07:00:00 | Embassy Bern | SECRET | PREL CASC MNUC SZ IR |
| 10BERN44 |
SWISS ATTENDANCE AT 2010 INSTABILITY AND GENOCIDE [...] Further to reftel, Poloff contacted Mo Bleeker, Senior Advisor Dealing with the Past and Transitional Justice for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to confirm Swiss intention to participate in the March 17-19 Instability Warning and Genocide Prevention Symposium. Bleeker a [...] |
2010-02-02 15:33:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | KAWC PREL OTRA SZ |
| 10BERN48 |
U/S HORMATS REVIEWS BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS \ [...] (U) January 25 at 11:00 am; Zurich \ \ 2. (U) Participants: \ \ U.S. \ \ U/S Robert Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and \ Agricultural Affairs \ Amb. Donald Beyer, US Ambassador to Switzerland \ Alex Whittington, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary \ Richard Rorvig, Bern Em [...] |
2010-02-04 17:31:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN ETRD SZ |
| 10BERN56 |
TIP - SWITZERLAND: ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING [...] No summary [...] |
2010-02-12 11:52:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC |
| 10BERN76 |
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD)/FMCT: SWISS [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel A message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Friedrich said that Switzerland is very frustrated [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MNUC KNNP PREL SZ |
| 10BERN77 |
SYRIA AT MARCH IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING: [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, who is the FDFA's coordinator for IAEA issues, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Refe [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PREL IAEA MNUC SY SZ |
| 10BERN78 |
EXPLAINING U.S. POLICY ON IRAN'S TEHRAN RESEARCH [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Praz asked about the Iranian proposal for a simulta [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA IR SZ |
| 10BERN79 |
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD)/FMCT: SWISS [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel A message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Friedrich said that Switzerland is very frustrated [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MNUC KNNP PREL SZ |
| 10BERN80 |
SYRIA AT MARCH IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING: [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, who is the FDFA's coordinator for IAEA issues, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Refe [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PREL IAEA MNUC SY SZ |
| 10BERN81 |
EXPLAINING U.S. POLICY ON IRAN'S TEHRAN RESEARCH [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Praz asked about the Iranian proposal for a simulta [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA IR SZ |
| 10BERN82 |
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT (CD)/FMCT: SWISS [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel A message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Friedrich said that Switzerland is very frustrated [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM MNUC KNNP PREL SZ |
| 10BERN83 |
SYRIA AT MARCH IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING: [...] (U) Poloff delivered reftel message on February 24 to Andreas Friedrich, Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Section of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Friedrich's deputy, Jean-Daniel Praz, who is the FDFA's coordinator for IAEA issues, joined the meeting. 2. (C) Refe [...] |
2010-02-25 16:22:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PARM PREL IAEA MNUC SY SZ |
| 89BERN2718 |
RAFSANJANI APRIL 21 SERMON ON ALLEGED [...] SWISS FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROVIDED EMBASSY ON APRIL 25 WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY U.S. INTERESTS SECTION OF SWISS EMBASSY IN TEHRAN OF RAFSANJANI'S APRIL 21 FRIDAY MESSAGE WHICH DESCRIBED AN ALLEGED U.S. ESPIONAGE RING IN IRAN. DOCUMENT RUNS ABOUT THREE DOUBLE-SPACED P [...] |
1989-04-25 14:55:00 | Embassy Bern | UNCLASSIFIED | PROP IR SZ US |
| 93BERN5779 |
NOVEMBER 4 PKK ATTACKS IN SWITZERLAND [...] CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT. 2. SUMMARY: THE GOS HAS NOT TAKEN SPECIFIC ACTION AGAINST KURDISH GROUPS AS A RESULT OF THE NOVEMBER 4 ATTACKS ON TURKISH ESTABLISHMENTS IN SWITZERLAND. THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT HAS REITERATED ITS REQUEST THAT THE PKK BE BANNED IN SWITZERLAND, BUT THE GOS SAYS [...] |
1993-11-10 16:28:00 | Embassy Bern | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER TU SZ |