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On Tuesday morning it was reported that Russia had appointed Stadler Rail chief and former SVP national adviser Peter Spuhler as Russia’s honorary consul in Zurich. The Russian embassy in Bern had confirmed it. But Stadler Rail now denies it.
Peter Spuhler becomes Honorary Consul of Russia.
(ela./sda)
“Peter Spuhler was asked for the post of Honorary Consul of Russia in Switzerland several years ago. But he will not be available for this position. ”That is, in a nutshell, the refusal that Stadler Rail communicated to NZZ on Tuesday afternoon upon request.
All day there was a report from the news agency. SDA in which Moscow was said to have confirmed the head of Stadler Rail, Spuhler, as its honorary consul in Zurich.
The Russian embassy had received a verbal note from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA with permission to reopen the Russian consulate in Zurich and appoint Peter Spuhler as honorary consul, he said. Its consular district includes the cantons of Zurich, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, St. Gallen and Thurgau, the Russian Embassy in Bern announced.
Therefore, Russians in this area could turn to Spuhler in the future to gain support from the Russian state in Switzerland, he said. However, the Russian embassy did not want to reveal why the choice fell on businessman Spuhler. The embassy also left open information on when Spuhler would start his job.
EDA is moving forward
Confusion had already arisen around the staff, because the FDFA announced the name last Tuesday, but the Stadler Rail company from Bussnang in Thurgau had said they knew nothing about the matter. The Russian embassy had also responded to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency last Wednesday that it did not want to provide any information, “until the necessary formal procedures for appointing Russia’s honorary consul in Zurich have been completed.” With the FDFA’s verbal note, the official process apparently ended. The consulate has been closed since October 2018.
The staff did not seem absurd: Stadler Rail and therefore also its boss Spuhler have various connections with Russia. The FDFA appointed the sponsoring company for the grand opening of the new building of the Swiss representation in Moscow. In addition, some time ago the company won a large order from the Russian railway operator Aeroexpress for some 380 million euros.
