Berne and Montreux join forces
The federal capital, Berne, and the town of Montreux have merged their bids to host the Winter Olympics in 2010. The bid faces competition from canton Graubünden to be selected as the official Swiss candidate.
Organisers of "Bern 2010" and "Montreux 2010" announced on Friday they had decided to join forces after several weeks of merger negotiations.
They said the joint bid brought together Berne's strengths as the capital with those of the popular tourist region of Montreux, a town on Lake Geneva best known for its annual Jazz Festival.
They added that as a project that spanned both main language regions, it also reflected Switzerland's cultural ambitions.
The organisers said environmental protection and the economic sustainability of the project would be central aspects of the bid.
The Swiss Olympic Association will have to choose between the two applications by January 17. The International Olympic Committee, based just along the lakefront from Montreux in Lausanne, will take a final decision in 2003.
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