Switzerland and Egypt have agreed to press ahead with a bilateral treaty on judicial cooperation, at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. The agreement, concluded by the Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, is the first with an Arab country.

Switzerland and Egypt have agreed to press ahead with a bilateral treaty on judicial cooperation, during talks at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. It will be the first such agreement between Switzerland and an Arab country.

The deal was supposed to come into force in 1997, but was shelved because of the Luxor massacre, in which 36 Swiss were among more 60 people killed.

The resurrected agreement, concluded by the Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, and his Egyptian counterpart, Amr Moussa, is being seen as proof that relations between Switzerland and Egypt are now back to normal.

The deal is shortly to be signed by the justice minister, Ruth Metzler.

No details will be released about the content of the treaty until it is signed, but the Associated Press news agency says it has learnt that it will contain a clause on human rights - an unprecedented step in a bilateral accord.

The agency says the agreement probably won't extend to an extradition treaty.

From staff and wire reports

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