Bern, Press releases, 30.06.2009

Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey received today the two initiators of the Geneva Initiative, Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abbed-Rabo. The discussions touched on the progress made in the past few months on annexes to the Geneva Accord which describe in detail the terms of a possible peace agreement.

The model agreement, the purpose of which is to establish an equitable peace between Israelis and Palestinians, was approved by the partners of the Geneva Initiative in 2003. A series of annexes working out the details of a possible peace agreement were drafted during the past months. Today the initiators, Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abbed-Rabo, presented the results of their efforts, supported by Switzerland, to the Head of the FDFA. The presentation was followed by exchanges of view on the next steps on the path to peace opened by the Geneva Initiative. 

The Geneva Initiative is the most detailed model of what a two state solution could look like. It constitutes a unique source of inspiration for political decision makers in the region and the international community, given that it addresses the most difficult questions in detail, including the status of Jerusalem, the refugee question, the borders, and the format for an international presence.  

For the past six years Switzerland, with others, has supported the Secretariat of the Geneva Initiative based in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, to the tune of about CHF 1 million a year. The purpose of these activities is above all to make known the content of the initiative to large segments of the population and to prepare detailed formulas consolidating the framework of a two state solution.


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