Swiss to recall ambassador to Syria
Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter says Switzerland will close its embassy to Syria where the opposition is battling President Bashar al-Assad.
On the fringes of a news conference on Wednesday, Burkhalter indicated that the decision would be taken shortly and the Swiss chargé d'affaires would be recalled swiftly.
“We will close the embassy in the next few days,” he told public radio.
The up to 180 Swiss nationals in Syria, mostly dual nationals, would be asked to leave the country for safety reasons.
Many European Union countries decided to withdraw their ambassadors to Syria ten days ago. The international community is divided over how to resolve the civil unrest which began 11 months ago.
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