Programme of members of the Federal Council attending the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting

Press releases, 17.01.2025

The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will take place in Davos next week. Six members of the Federal Council will be attending the event. President Karin Keller-Sutter will open the event together with WEF founder Prof. Klaus Schwab on Tuesday, 21 January.

The Annual Meeting offers members of the Federal Council the opportunity to foster contacts and hold a great many discussions; at least 40 bilateral meetings are expected to take place. Programme changes are always possible, even at the last minute.

President Karin Keller-Sutter, head of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF), will meet with heads of state and government while in Davos. She will focus on Switzerland's relations with European countries, the European Union (EU) and G20 countries. The tense geopolitical situation and international economic and financial developments will be the main topics of discussion. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and President Keller-Sutter will meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. A meeting will also be held with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid. Other meetings are still being planned.

Federal Council Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Federal Council and head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) will take advantage of the Annual Meeting to sign EFTA free trade agreements with Thailand and Kosovo in the presence of the Prime Ministers of these two countries. During the meeting with Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed on the participation of Swiss companies in the reconstruction of the country. The economic promotion, research, innovation and agriculture will be highlighted at various events and meetings with members of the business community. As well as accompanying President Karin Keller-Sutter to certain meetings, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will hold talks with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, who will be accompanied by his Deputy Prime Minister, Dumitru Alaiba, as well as with ministers such as Gan Kim Yong (Singapore), Yulia Svyrydenko (Ukraine), Jonathan Reynolds (UK), Rosan Perkasa Roeslani (Indonesia), Ryad Mezzour and Karim Zidane (Morocco) and Majid Al Qassabi (Saudi Arabia). Finally, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will attend the signing of an agreement establishing a joint economic commission between Switzerland and Egypt together with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and will chair an informal WTO meeting to discuss the objectives of the next Ministerial Conference.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will focus his bilateral meetings on European policy and the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. Security and cooperation will also be on the Federal Councillor's agenda in Davos, particularly in view Switzerland assuming the chair of the OSCE in 2026.

Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), will focus her talks on the security situation in Europe, particularly in view of the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. Meetings will be held with the new General Secretary of NATO Mark Rutte and the European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius to explore avenues of cooperation with NATO and the EU. Meetings with defence ministers are planned. In addition, Federal Councillor Amherd will visit troops deployed at the venue to see first-hand how members of the armed forces are contributing to security.

Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), will focus on two topics during her visit to Davos: the importance of digital innovation in healthcare and the role of trusted data sources in the fight against disinformation. In this context, the home affairs minister will open two events at the House of Switzerland. She will also hold bilateral talks with leading figures including WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister for Information and Communication Technology and Innovation.

Federal Councillor Beat Jans, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), will hold bilateral talks on security, migration and the rule of law with Tunisian Foreign Minister Ali Nafti and Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle, among others. Mr Jans will also attend two events at the House of Switzerland, one of which will focus on digital trust infrastructure.

 

The ‘House of Switzerland’ at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting

Official Switzerland is once again represented at this year's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the House of Switzerland. Run by the FDFA’s Presence Switzerland unit, with the support of the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics, the House of Switzerland will be located downtown at the arena that is home to HC Davos. It will serve as a venue for talks and dialogue with facilities for meetings hosted by members of the Federal Council, the Swiss delegation and their international guests and partners. A series of thematic events will also be organised in cooperation with various federal offices and players from the political, business and scientific spheres. The programme focuses on current foreign policy issues and the safeguarding of Switzerland's interests abroad and is set to cover topics including the transformative potential of AI, global cybersecurity, innovative approaches to financing sustainable development, global food security and cross-sectoral cooperation between science, society and innovation.

 


Further information:

House of Switzerland


Address for enquiries:

Serge Kuhn
Communication
Presidential Affairs Unit
Federal Chancellery
058 463 71 34
serge.kuhn@bk.admin.ch


Publisher:

The Federal Council
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Home Affairs
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Federal Department of Finance