Questioned neutrality – Is Geneva weakened as an international conference location? – News

A new round of talks on Syria is planned for Geneva in about a month. But Russia is now demanding a different venue – because Switzerland is no longer neutral.

Geneva as a neutral conference location for a round of negotiations on the Syria talks at the end of July is no longer an option for the Kremlin. Alexander Lavrentiev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for Syria, took part in Syria talks with Iran and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan last week. There Lavrentiev spoke out in favor of giving up Geneva as the location for talks on a Syrian constitution. Because Geneva is no longer neutral.

The reason for this change of mind is the Swiss sanctions against Russia. According to a report by the state press agency “Ria Novosti”, Switzerland is one of the countries in the world that has imposed the most sanctions. Switzerland occupies third place in their ranking, behind the USA and Canada.

Former diplomat fears image damage

The Kremlin’s threat makes Paul Widmer, a former diplomat and lecturer in international relations at the University of St. Gallen, sit up and take notice. Because one is actually proud of Switzerland’s international services. “If an important state now doubts our neutrality, it could mean that others also use this argument and international Geneva is devalued,” says Widmer. One should not forget that the competition for international organizations is very fierce. “This is the first crack in the image of our neutrality – a major damage to our image.”

In addition, international Geneva is a very big asset for Switzerland. “We must never forget that neutrality, in our traditional view, is the most important principle of our foreign policy – coupled with the use of good offices, for which we are particularly well suited thanks to consistent neutrality,” warns Widmer. This creates credibility, which has now suffered massively.

Changing the venue is difficult

David Nauer, former SRF Russia correspondent, is not particularly surprised by Moscow’s change of heart to hold the talks elsewhere. The Kremlin has always treated Switzerland more accommodatingly and better than Western countries. “But that has changed since the Russian attack on Ukraine, because Switzerland took a clear position and condemned it – that angered the Kremlin.” In the Russian media one reads that Switzerland is no longer neutral. That is why Switzerland has moved closer to the western camp – a camp that the Kremlin regards as hostile.

According to Nauer, the Russians will try to find other venues in countries that the Russians are more comfortable with, for example in Asia, Africa or the Middle East. But changing the venue is not so easy, since all the other states involved also have to agree. In addition, the UN headquarters are in Geneva, which means that numerous events are already taking place in Geneva. “The Russian desire to move such events away from Geneva is definitely there. But how much the Russians can assert themselves is another question,” says Nauer.