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OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum

Wednesday, 10.09.2014 – Wednesday, 10.09.2014

OSCE

The Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter, and the Czech Foreign Minister, Lubomír Zaorálek, in Prague
The Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter, and the Czech Foreign Minister, Lubomír Zaorálek, in Prague. ©

Following two preparatory meetings this year, one of which was held in Montreux and Valais in May, the OSCE is dedicating this year's Economic and Environmental Forum to the discussion on measures to prevent natural disasters. The forum is taking place in Prague on 10 September 2014.

President Burkhalter will also use his time in Prague as an opportunity to hold bilateral talks with representatives of the Czech government. In addition to bilateral themes, the focus of his meeting with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaorálek will be on the current situation in Ukraine and measures taken by the OSCE to support the process to find a political solution to the crisis.

Location: Prague

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As a multilingual state, major financial centre and neighbour of France and Germany, Luxembourg has much in common with Switzerland. In addition, the two countries maintain excellent relations. The many activities planned for the prime minister of Luxembourg's visit to Switzerland are further evidence of this.

In the morning, the president of the Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, received the prime minister of Luxembourg in Neuchâtel. The two men visited Spectratime, a company based in Neuchâtel specialising in the production of atomic clocks, GPS and space navigational applications. The visit took place within the context of the Swiss-Luxembourg co-presidency of the European Space Agency (ESA) from 2012 to the end of 2016.


Relations between Switzerland and Luxembourg

Presidency of the European Union in 2015

President Burkhalter presented Switzerland's policy on Europe to the prime minister of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is an important discussion partner on this topic since it will take over the presidency of the European Union for the second half of 2015.

President Burkhalter also recalled Switzerland's priorities within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and addressed the situation in Ukraine. Other items for discussion included the automatic exchange of information in fiscal matters and cooperation between the two countries in the context of the United Nations.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Bettel met Federal Councillors Simonetta Sommaruga, head of the Federal Department Justice and Police (FDJP), and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, head of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) in Bern.

Press release, 17.9.2014

 

Additional information and documentation

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Last update 08.01.2020