Talks between Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey and her Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres in Geneva on Monday largely focused on the revolutions that are sweeping the Arab world, Swiss and international media have reported.
Peres, on a two-day trip to Switzerland to boost scientific cooperation between the two countries, expressed hope that the current uprisings could lead to increased democracy in the area. However, he said that no regime change alone would be enough for these countries to escape poverty, without the help of science and technology, reports said.
Calmy-Rey said Switzerland will support the populations during these transition phases with humanitarian aid, they said.
During Peres’ visit, the Swiss pro-Palestinian NGO Droit pour Tous (Right for All) filed a criminal complaint against him in Geneva, accusing the Israeli leader of “crimes against humanity,” the organization said in a statement.