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OSCE and bilateral relations on agenda of visit to United States by President of the Swiss Confederation

Bern, Press releases, 24.02.2014

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, will visit the United States from 24 to 25 February 2014. On Monday 24 February, he will speak before the United Nations Security Council in New York in his capacity as Chairperson of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, before meeting on Tuesday 25 February in Washington with the members of the Helsinki Commission of the United States Congress. Before returning to Switzerland, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will be received by the vice president of the United States, Joe Biden. The crisis in Ukraine will be the focus of the various meetings during the United States visit.

Mr Burkhalter's address to the Security Council will allow him to explain the priorities of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship and speak about cooperation between the regional security organisations and the United Nations. He will also reiterate the OSCE's willingness to play an active role with regard to the crisis in Ukraine and provide expertise to support possible solutions.

From New York, the President of the Swiss Confederation will travel to Washington where he will meet with the members of the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, more commonly known as the US Helsinki Commission, which has considerable influence within the OSCE. Mr Burkhalter will also speak on the priorities of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship and the crisis in Ukraine before the members of the commission, which is made up of 18 members of Congress and a representative from the State Department, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Defense.

Before returning to Switzerland to take part in the Federal Council meeting, the head of the FDFA will be received by the vice president of the United States, Joe Biden. The discussion between the two men will mainly focus on bilateral relations and the possibilities presented by the OSCE for overcoming  the crisis in Ukraine. Mr Burkhalter will in particular set forth the results of his contact with the Ukrainian authorities and the proposals he made to them on behalf of the OSCE.

Mr Burkhalter and Mr Biden will also take stock of relations between their two countries. Close ties result from the fact that more than a million US citizens have Swiss backgrounds. Economic relations are also good, with the United States the second biggest market for Swiss exports after the European Union (Swiss exports to the United States in 2012: CHF 25 billion, imports: CHF 11 billion).

Further information:

Relations between Switzerland and the United States
FDFA web dossier on the OSCE
Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE on Twitter
Twitter Switzerland at the UN

Address for enquiries:

Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch

Publisher:

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Tuesday, 18.02.2014 – Tuesday, 18.02.2014

Angela Merkel and Didier Burkhalter in Berlin.
FDFA

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Didier Burkhalter, makes a working visit to Berlin, where he meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Following Berlin, President Burkhalter travels on to Paris for an evening meeting with French foreign minister Laurent Fabius in order to brief him on how the Federal Council intends to act following the vote on the mass immigration initiative.

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The President of the Swiss Confederation and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, has travelled to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the morning of 18 February. Their meeting has been followed by a working lunch with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

During this working visit, Mr Burkhalter has raised bilateral matters and issues concerning Switzerland's policy on the EU, specifically in the context of the Swiss people's vote on 9 February to change immigration policy.

As chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Mr Burkhalter has also presented Switzerland's priorities for 2014.

This was Mr Burkhalter's second visit to Berlin since he was appointed head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Main European partner

Germany is Switzerland's main trading partner, accounting for one third of Swiss imports. Germany is also the sixth largest direct investor in Switzerland (CHF 28.2 billion at the end of 2011) and its companies employ some 100,000 people in Switzerland.

Switzerland's relations with Germany are extremely close. The two countries have signed some 200 political agreements and have a very wide range of exchanges in the fields of research, education and culture. In 2013, more than 290,000 Germans were living in Switzerland and some 80,715 Swiss nationals were living in Germany.

Bilateral relations Switzerland–Germany

Discussion in Paris

Following his visit to Berlin Didier Burkhalter has travelled on to Paris, where he has met the French foreign minister Laurent Fabius on the same evening. President Burkhalter has informed Mr Fabius about the outcome of the vote on the mass immigration initiative and the Federal Council’s first steps towards implementing the new article in the Constitution.

France is Switzerland’s third most important trading partner, accounting for 7.8% of foreign trade in 2011. Switzerland ranked seventh as a foreign investor in France at the end of 2010.

Swiss firms employ some 160,000 persons. French direct investments in the Confederation amounted to CHF 42 billion at the end of 2010. Swiss-based French firms, over 90% of them small and medium enterprises (SMEs), employ some 44,000 people.

Bilateral relations Switzerland–France

 

 

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Last update 27.11.2017