State Duma speaker refuses to meet with Swiss ambassador
MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax) - Swiss Ambassador to Moscow Pierre Helg said he would like to meet with Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin following the cancellation of Naryshkin's official meeting in Switzerland.
However, at the State Duma speaker's decision, representatives of the chamber's executive office met with Helg, State Duma spokesman Yury Shuvalov told Interfax.
"Speaker of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin found a meeting with a representative of Switzerland impossible due to the known circumstances," Shuvalov said.
It was announced last week that the Swiss authorities had decided to cancel Naryshkin's official visit to Switzerland due to the current political situation.
The meeting of Naryshkin and Ruedi Lustenberger, president of the National Council, the lower chamber of the Swiss parliament, set for September 23-24, will not take place due to today's political situation, the Swiss Assembly said in a communique published on its website.
Naryshkin was supposed to travel to Switzerland to attend ceremonies marking the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Russia.
