On February 25, 2014, Swiss President Didier Burkhalter was received by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the White House. Mr. Burkhalter and Mr. Biden took stock of the friendship and excellent relations between their two countries. Their discussion focused on bilateral relations and the possibilities presented by the OSCE for overcoming the crisis in the Ukraine. The economic relations between Switzerland and the U.S. are excellent as well. The United States are the second biggest market for Swiss exports after the European Union. Since many years Switzerland ranks among the top five foreign direct investors in the U.S. Close ties also result from the fact that more than a million U.S. citizens have Swiss roots.
