Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Relations between Switzerland and Libya remain strained, with Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi repeating a call he made at the G8 summit in Italy in July 2009, for Switzerland to be considered a non-country and its linguistic districts to be shared among its neighbours. The rhetoric itself has ruffled few feathers, given Qadaffi’s widespread reputation for stepping outside the usual boundaries of diplomatic talk, but Libya’s upcoming turn in a role at the United Nations General Assembly, which opens its new session 15 September, gives him a platform.

It will be the first time he has joined a General Assembly since coming to power 40 years ago, according to Swiss television TSR.

Posted by Ellen Wallace on 3 September 2009 at 9:20, last updated on 6 September 2009 at 19:20 | permalink
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News story, GenevaLunch, 3 September 2009.

Filed under: Politics

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  1. The Warlock Says:
    September 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Only an organization as corrupt as the UN would put a man like Qaddafi in place as President of their organization. Who is next, Hugo Chavez, maybe? How about Burmese General Than Shwe? I’m sure that would lead to even more enlightened UN policy. (Feh)

  2. GenevaLunch » Blog Archive » Libya’s request to dismember Switzerland was turned down by UN Says:
    September 4th, 2009 at 9:06 am

    [...] that Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi was planning to ask the United Nations to discuss the dismemberment of Switzerland, with its neighbours taking linguistically related areas have turned out to be accurate, but with [...]

  3. Joeskeys Says:
    September 4th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

    Qaddafi is not actually going to be president of the UN or any part of it. A Libyan, Ali Treki, will be serving a 1-year term as President of the General Assembly, a position of very limited power.

  4. Ellen Wallace Says:
    September 4th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    Thank you for that correction – you’re right.

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