Former federal councilor Ogi recalls his meetings with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger: “This man was listened to.”

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The world mourns the death of political legend Henry Kissinger (†100). The former US Secretary of State died at his home in the US state of Connecticut, his consultancy Kissinger Associates Inc. said. announced on Thursday.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was a colorful figure in American politics. His specialty: secret diplomacy. He is considered the top diplomat of the 20th century and one of the most influential statesmen of the post-war period. Kissinger was in power from 1973 to 1977 during the Cold War.

Ogi met Kissinger in Switzerland

Kissinger was also known for being able to get the American president or the rulers of Russia and China on the phone at any time. One of his greatest successes was the rapprochement between the US and China in the early 1970s.

Kissinger also spoke with former federal councilor Adolf Ogi (81) about the geopolitical situation. “I met Henry Kissinger twice,” says former magistrate Blick. Both times the meetings took place in a more private setting.

“The first time was in Zurich or Lucerne, the second time I met Mr. Kissinger in a hotel just outside New York – that was many years ago,” Ogi recalls.

“This man was listened to”

The meeting in Switzerland was about whether Europe could be a fourth power alongside America, Russia and China. “Kissinger did not have a particularly strong voice,” says the former defense secretary. Nevertheless, “This man was listened to.”

Not everything always went as Kissinger had outlined, says Ogi, who later continued to follow with interest what Kissinger did.

Most recently, statements have been made about Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Last year, Kissinger caused a stir at the WEF in Davos GR when he said Ukraine should make concessions to Russia. For Ogi it is clear: “He was a wise man who had something to say until the end.”

Source:Blick