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Article: Swiss count cost of isolation. (News).(Switzerland debates European Economic Area )
- Article from:
- Swiss News
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Swiss News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Ten years after Switzerland voted against joining the European Economic Area (EEA), arguments continue to rage over the merits of the decision.
Supporters of closer integration with Europe claim that by rejecting membership, the Swiss economy was left lagging behind many of its competitors.
In an interview with the weekly NZZ am Sonntag, Swiss Foreign Minister, Joseph Deiss, said Switzerland had chosen a "slow and difficult path" when it voted against joining the EEA.
"Joining the EEA would have allowed Switzerland to make important steps toward liberalization. Instead Switzerland has fallen behind," he said.
Before the vote on ...