Numerous heads of state and government leaders gathered in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans Montana for the annual forum on international affairs. The forum - now in its tenth year - was expected to be dominated by the Balkans crisis.

Numerous heads of state and government leaders gathered in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans Montana for the annual forum on international affairs.

The forum - now in its tenth year - was expected to be dominated by the Balkans crisis.

Among those attending the talks in the resort in canton Valais were the Russian special envoy to Kosovo Viktor Chernomyrdin; the Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and the United Nations representative for the province Eduard Kukan.

Also expected are the United States special envoy for the protection of human rights Jesse Jackson and NATO spokesman Jamie Shea, as well as a range of leaders from Balkan countries.

Representing the Swiss government, Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss and Economics Minister Pascal Couchepin will be attending the forum.

In an address on Saturday, Deiss is expected to raise the issue of Switzerland's policy towards eastern Europe.

Also on the agenda are relations with African nations and economic development on the continent.

Couchepin is expected to meet several African leaders, including the Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Saturday. Bouteflika is on his first foreign trip since taking office in April and will address the forum at its closure on Sunday.


Source: sda-ats

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