(IsraelNN.com) Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey suggested to envoys from Saudi Arabia that they need to talk with "heavyweight political figures." She explained by asking, "Should we listen to these 'wise figures' who [see the world in] black and white, or should we continue dialogue without discrimination--even sitting down at the same table as Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden?"
 
The Foreign Minister added, "The only force we have ever had is that of words," the French news agency AFP reported. Opponents to her style and policies have accused the Foreign Minister of damaging Switzerland's status with allies.

The United States last March criticized Foreign Minister Calmey-Rey for signing a huge energy deal with the Iranian government-owned gas company. The agreement sent the "wrong message" to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the American government stated.

"We talked to Hamas and Hizbullah and other Islamist organizations; we talked to the most diverse groups in Kosovo, because they clearly expressed the legitimate interests of the population," Calmy-Rey stated. "By doing this, we did not legitimize their methods, but pushed them towards ending violence."

Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey also included Hizbullah along with other terrorist groups as being "essential in the search for a resolution" of different conflicts worldwide. However, she added that dialogue did not mean "accepting the unacceptable," and conceded that it could sometimes lead to tensions and "complex political blockages."