Swiss President Pascal Couchepin has confirmed that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing on Aug. 8, the official Swissinfo news website reported Wednesday.

Couchepin was quoted as saying that Switzerland houses the seat of the International Olympic Committee and that it was therefore "natural" that he should go.

He said his ministerial colleagues had left the decision up to him.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)