Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis receives new Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein Dominique Hasler

The official meeting also served as an occasion for Mr Cassis and Ms Hasler to pay tribute to the long tradition of friendly relations and the particularly close connection between their two countries. The fact that this first visit of Liechtenstein's new foreign minister to Switzerland came just a few weeks after she took office is a renewed expression of these excellent relations.

Ms Hasler is the former Minister of Home Affairs, Education and Environment of Liechtenstein. Following the February 2021 elections, she took the reins of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport.

Close collaboration between neighbouring countries – especially in times of crisis

Mr Cassis and Ms Hasler agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated how important solid and close collaboration with neighbouring countries is. Cultivating and strengthening such relations is also a central pillar of Switzerland's foreign policy strategy. Against this backdrop, cross-border and bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and Liechtenstein is to be stepped up.

The discussions also included European and international issues. Liechtenstein forms part of the Swiss economic and monetary area and has been a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) for 25 years. Finally, Mr Cassis and Ms Hasler expressed their satisfaction at their close cooperation within the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the UN, where both countries are committed to promoting robust and effective multilateralism.

Tomorrow, Friday, 16 April 2021, Ms Hasler will also attend the annual meeting of foreign ministers from the five German-speaking countries – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. This year, at the invitation of Mr Cassis, the meeting is taking place in Lugano.

Further information:

Bilateral relations Switzerland–Liechtenstein

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