Israel snubs Bern over Iran gas deal
Israel is responding to Switzerland's multibillion-dollar gas deal with Iran by giving the brush-off to officials of the country.
In several newspaper interviews published on Sunday, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey criticized Israel because it had not invited any member of the Bern government to attend a celebration.
"Personally, I am disappointed that our country was not invited at government level... Switzerland has never taken sides, neither in the Middle East conflict nor in anywhere else in the world," said Calmy-Rey.
She urged Israel to 'appreciate and understand' that as a neutral state, it has no choice but to engage in direct negotiations with all countries.
Israel has been exerting pressure on Switzerland since Calmy-Rey's recent Tehran visit, in which a major natural gas supply deal was sealed between Swiss company EGL and Iran's state-owned National Iranian Gas Export Company.
The Tehran-Bern gas contract infuriated Zionist groups which believe a robust trade relationship with Iran will sabotage attempts to isolate the Islamic Republic in the international arena.
The Swiss government, however, instantly responded to criticism from such groups, affirming that all international laws and regulations were respected in the contract.
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Source: www.presstv.ir
