Switzerland to stop representing US over UBS?

Switzerland's biggest political party has called for retaliatory measures against the US over its tax probe in to the biggest Swiss bank UBS. The United States charges that the bank has helped rich Americans dodge taxes hiding assets in secret Swiss bank accounts. UBS agreed on Wednesday to pay a USD 780 million fine and hand over some client names to settle US criminal charges. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) declared on Saturday that Switzerland should, in response, refrain from assuming the Guantanamo Bay prisoners from the US thereby helping the closure of the notorious detention camp. Switzerland should review its policy of representing the US in the countries it has no diplomatic relations, the SVP said in a statement. Meanwhile, following the row over the US tax probe, there have been calls in the Swiss government urging the resignation of the UBS chairman Peter Kurer, while others maintained that Chief Executive Marcel Rohner should leave. "I am disappointed by the whole UBS leadership. Communication is lacking. The top management no longer feels what moves the people. Peter Kurer should take the consequences," Thomas Hurter from the Swiss People's Party (SVP) told the Sonntag newspaper, Reuters reported. The banking industry has helped transform Switzerland into one of the world's richest countries.

'Belgrade attempting to destroy Kosovo'

Kosovo has accused Serbia of making attempts to destroy the young country ahead of the first anniversary of its self-declared independence. 

"We expected Belgrade to overcome the mentality of the (wartime Serb president) Slobodan Milosevic era in relations with Kosovo," Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told AFP. 

However, "they have a completely chauvinistic approach in order to imperil the territorial integrity of Kosovo," he said, urging Belgrade to make a fresh start in ties with its breakaway southern province. 

"There is a good will in Pristina for normalization of the state relations; reciprocal recognition between Kosovo and Serbia as two independent states; opening of embassies of Kosovo in Belgrade and of Serbia in Pristina and establishing of diplomatic relations," he added. 

Belgrade says it is willing to hold negotiations with the leaders of its former province, as long as the talks pose no threat to Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Despite Belgrade's vehement opposition Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from the Serbian rule in mid-February last year and has so far been recognized by 54 countries, including the United States as well as 22 out of the European Union's 27 member states. 

The declaration, however, drew strong criticism from Russia, warning against the wrong example the move could set for other independent-seeking region in the world. 

Prior to its self-declared independence, Kosovo was run by the United Nations peacekeeping mission, which was deployed to the region after NATO forces put an end to the massacre of Kosovo Albanians by Serb soldiers in 1999.