Geneva: Russia is the sole member of the UN Security Council to have turned down an invitation by the Swiss government to mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Bern on Wednesday.
The Russian representatives in New York had said they would not participate, without providing reasons, he said.
Diplomats from 13 other council members are due to travel to Geneva on August 25 and 26 for the celebration. Switzerland itself is currently one of the 10 non-permanent members of the 15-member council.
Moscow has listed Switzerland as an "unfriendly country” since it backed European Union sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Switzerland is currently a member of the Security Council for the first time. The council’s five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States
The Geneva Conventions, which were signed in 1949, form the foundation of international humanitarian law. They are aimed at protecting the wounded and civilians during conflict and ensuring dignified treatment of prisoners. (DPA)