North Korea's nuclear program is a potentially greater threat to Japan than the ongoing Iraqi crisis, Swiss Ambassador Jacques Reverdin said Wednesday.
If Pyongyang joins the ranks of nuclear powers, it could become a big player on the international stage, leaving Japan behind, Reverdin told The Japan Times.
Reverdin also wondered aloud how Japan would react if such a nightmare were to come true. The ambassador took over the Tokyo post last fall.
He said Switzerland is seeking a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis, as shown by its vocal opposition to the U.S.-proposed second U.N. resolution against Iraq. However, Reverdin said his country's position is different to that of France.
He said he cannot be optimistic about the prospects of avoiding a war in Iraq.
Switzerland joined the United Nations in September, departing from its centuries-old neutrality policy after a historic referendum in March, when the nation voted in favor of becoming a U.N. member. But Switzerland will maintain its traditional diplomatic neutrality, he said.
Asked about his nation's disputed participation in the European Union, the ambassador said it would take between six and seven years for Switzerland to get used to the idea.
"We, the Swiss, don't trust anyone -- not to mention Brussels," he said. "Unlike our older generations, however, younger generations do not regard Europe as a threat to us."
The ambassador also said he is satisfied with his nation's trade relations with Japan.
Switzerland ranks fifth in terms of direct investment in Japan -- after the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany and Britain -- in terms of accumulated direct investment.
But despite Switzerland's sizable investment in Japan, especially in the banking sector, Japan has done little to invest in Switzerland, he noted.
