GENEVA, August 5. /TASS/. Russia does not interfere in Switzerland’s internal affairs, and claims to the contrary ahead of a referendum on the legislative initiative "On Neutrality" are unfounded insinuations by local media, Russian ambassador in Bern Sergey Garmonin told TASS.
According to him, recently the Swiss press has "increasingly begun to publish insinuations about alleged Russian interference in the confederation’s internal affairs," particularly in the context of the neutrality initiative.
"Neither the Russian embassy in Bern, nor other Russian diplomatic missions in the confederation, nor the Russian Foreign Ministry interfere in Switzerland’s internal affairs," the diplomat said.
Earlier, Switzerland announced that a referendum on the legislative initiative "On Neutrality" would be held on September 27. It envisages enshrining in the country’s constitution the principle of perpetual armed and comprehensive neutrality, which excludes imposing any sanctions except those adopted by the UN Security Council, as well as restrictive measures aimed at preventing the circumvention of sanctions imposed by other states. Currently, the confederation’s constitution says only that the government and parliament are responsible for "issues of neutrality." This wording allows for various interpretations depending on the political situation. If the initiative is adopted, the Swiss government may be forced to reconsider or cancel several anti-Russian sanctions.