Widmer-Schlumpf (l) held talks with US Justice Minister Eric Holder (middle) in Washington last month (Keystone)
Swiss Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf says a resolution may be not far off to end a long-running dispute with the United States over Swiss banks accused of helping wealthy Americans evade billions of dollars of taxes.
“We are on the point of presenting a solution,” Widmer-Schlumpf told Swiss national radio on Saturday.
Several points still need to be discussed and negotiated with the US authorities, but “we hope to soon reach the end”, she declared.
The Swiss government has been in protracted talks to end US investigations into numerous Swiss banks, including Credit Suisse and Julius Baer.
The finance minister said the result would not be met by enthusiastic support by the banks, which “won’t get that for free”, but declined to elaborate on any costs or fines that banks may incur.
“It is very important that we have a solution that resolves the banks’ past,” she told the Swiss radio news programme.
Several points still need to be discussed and negotiated with the US authorities, but “we hope to soon reach the end”, she declared.
The Swiss government has been in protracted talks to end US investigations into numerous Swiss banks, including Credit Suisse and Julius Baer.
The finance minister said the result would not be met by enthusiastic support by the banks, which “won’t get that for free”, but declined to elaborate on any costs or fines that banks may incur.
“It is very important that we have a solution that resolves the banks’ past,” she told the Swiss radio news programme.
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