{"id":203677,"date":"2026-09-14T20:19:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T17:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203677\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T20:19:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T17:19:56","slug":"new-swiss-ambassador-presents-copy-of-credentials-to-belarusian-deputy-foreign-minister","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203677\/","title":{"rendered":"New Swiss ambassador presents copy of credentials to Belarusian deputy foreign minister"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Eberhard Grossgasteiger \/ unsplash.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

September 14, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New Swiss Ambassador Stefan Estermann presented a copy of his credentials to Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Siakreta, the Belarusian foreign ministry reported on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sides discussed \u201cthe current state and prospects for stepping up cooperation between Belarus and Switzerland in political, trade\u2011economic and other areas within the existing framework conditions, and exchanged views of the situation in the region and the world,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stefan Estermann announced his arrival in Belarus in a Facebook post on September 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 58-year-old ambassador noted that he and his wife were warmly welcomed and quickly felt at home, adding that he looked forward to starting his new job, meeting people and building new contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A career diplomat, Estermann worked in Ukraine and Russia, among other places, and served as the Swiss foreign ministry\u2019s chief of staff. From 2014 to 2018 and from 2022 to 2026, he headed diplomatic missions in Croatia and Greece, respectively. In addition to his native German, he speaks French, English, Czech and Russian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switzerland is one of the few Western nations that has an ambassador in Minsk. Estermann succeeded Christine Honegger Zolotukhin, who arrived in 2022 after Belarus freed Natalla Hersche, a Belarusian-born citizen of Switzerland convicted over 2020 protests. Honegger Zolotukhin had presented her credentials to Alakasandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switzerland has aligned itself with most of the EU sanctions targeting individuals and legal entities in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Hanievi\u010d, the Belarusian ambassador to Switzerland, told Russia\u2019s RIA Novosti<\/em> last year that Minsk is not interested in a long-term freeze of relations with Switzerland despite tensions for which he blamed Bern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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