ITALY/SWITZERLAND: Italy says Swiss misused travel pact in Libya row

Record ID: 780606

  • Title: ITALY/SWITZERLAND: Italy says Swiss misused travel pact in Libya row
  • Date: 18th February 2010
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (FEBRUARY 17, 2010) (REUTERS) VILLA MADAMA, VENUE OF THE MEETING BETWEEN ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANCO FRATTINI, LIBYAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOUSA KOUSA AND MALTESE FOREIGN MINISTER TONIO BORG ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANCO FRATTINI ARRIVING CAMERAMEN LIBYAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOUSA KOUSA ARRIVING MALTESE FOREIGN MINISTER TONIO BORG ARRIVING (*** FLASH PHOT
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA518C49ECAVKLO43ALYOFOP1SW
  • Story Text: Italy has accused Switzerland of misusing an agreement facilitating European travel to put pressure on Libya, prompting a Libyan ban on visas for much of Europe.
    Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Wednesday (February 17) Switzerland's unilateral decision to slap a travel ban on Libyan officials had prompted retaliation by Libya and was a violation of the Schengen agreement that allows travel within 25 European states.
    Frattini said Schengen was supposed to be used to protect its member states from criminals and terrorists.
    "We surely believe that the Schengen agreement should be used to prevent entry to Europe of terrorists and criminals, not to solve bilateral disputes," Fratini said.
    Libya had stopped issuing entry visas to the 25 European nations covered by Schengen -- some of which are not in the European Union, such as Switzerland -- in response to a Swiss entry ban on 188 of its citizens, including Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family.
    The European Union said it deplored the decision by Libya to stop issuing entry visas to the nations in the Schengen visa-free zone.
    Libya for months has been locked in a row with Switzerland over the brief 2008 arrest of one of Gaddafi's sons in Geneva, and the subsequent prosecution in Libya of two Swiss citizens.
    Speaking after meeting his Libyan counterpart Mousa Kousa and Maltese Foreign Minister Tonio Borg Frattini said Tripoli was ready to reconsider its decision.
    "My Libyan colleague told me they have no problem in authorizing the two Swiss citizens to go back to Switzerland immediately," Frattini said.
    Frattini quoted Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey as saying: "I am ready to make a conclusive agreement."
    Switzerland maintains it had acted within the bounds of the agreement and that it had implemented a restrictive visa policy since the fall of 2009.
    "This policy is perfectly in order with the Schengen rules," Swiss Government Spokesman Andre Simmonazzi said.
    Swiss officials have said that other states in the Schengen zone have backed Switzerland's line on issuing visas to Libyans.
    But Carm Mifsud Bonnici, home affairs minister of Malta, which also has strong links to Libya, wrote to his Swiss counterpart to say the move "runs counter to the spirit of the Schengen" pact.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register