Press releases

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Übergabe des Beglaubigungsschreibens

16.11.2010 — Press releases EDA

The Swiss Permanent Mission to the EU celebrates its 50th anniversary

15.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Fifty years ago, Switzerland opened a mission to the European Communities in Brussels. Today, the Swiss Permanent Mission to the European Union celebrates this anniversary in the presence of Micheline Calmy-Rey, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. In her address to some 350 guests, Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey drew an overall positive picture of relations between Switzerland and the European Union, and spoke about future developments.

Switzerland welcomes the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

13.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest this Saturday. Switzerland welcomes the release of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

4th Global Forum on Migration and Development – Switzerland to Chair the Forum in 2011

10.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
The 4th Global Forum on Migration and Development is scheduled to take place on 10 and 11 November 2010 in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), where the representatives of some 150 States will hold discussions on how to enhance international cooperation in the domain of migration and development. The Swiss delegation, to be led by Eduard Gnesa, Special Envoy for international cooperation on migration issues, will be preparing Switzerland’s chairmanship of the Forum in 2011.

Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey’s meeting with the Elders

09.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey had a meeting with members of the Elders on 9 November 2010 in Mont-Pèlerin. Both former US President Jimmy Carter and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan were among the group of renowned international personalities. The purpose of this meeting was to engage in an in-depth exchange on various themes of international significance.

International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers signed by close to 60 companies

09.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Geneva, 9 November 2010 - Today, close to 60 private security providers signed an international code of conduct and committed to respecting human rights and humanitarian law in their operations. The initiative for this document, which is the first of its kind, was launched jointly by Switzerland and industry associations with the support of main governmental clients, humanitarian organisations and civil society.

Medieneinladung: Der Schweizer Beitrag an die erweiterte Europäische Union: Eine Zwischenbilanz

09.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Seit Juni 2007 setzt die Schweiz Projekte im Rahmen des Erweiterungsbeitrags zu Gunsten der jüngsten EU-Mitgliedsstaaten um. Nun ziehen das Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft SECO und die Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit DEZA eine Zwischenbilanz: Am 19. November 2010 (13:30-17:30 Uhr) in Aarau vermitteln Gäste aus allen Partnerländern und der Schweiz ein aktuelles Bild des Schweizer Erweiterungsbeitrags. Unter anderen referieren Bundesrat Johann Schneider-Ammann, Vorsteher des Eidgenössischen Volkswirtschaftsdepartements (EVD), Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Ministerin für Regionalentwicklung, Polen, sowie DEZA-Direktor Martin Dahinden.

Switzerland regrets the conditions in which the elections in Myanmar were held

08.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
The Swiss Government regrets that the multi-party elections on 7 November 2010 in Myanmar took place in an environment in which the freedoms of expression and association as well as the freedom of the press were massively restricted.

Nigeria and Switzerland concluded Migration Partnership

05.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland and Nigeria have today successfully concluded negotiations on a migration partnership between the two countries. This was the highlight of a working visit of the Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Martin Uhomoibhi, in Bern, where he met with the State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Peter Maurer, and the Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Migration, Alard du Bois-Reymond.

Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait

03.11.2010 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), will visit the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait on 6-7 November 2010 for talks.

Conclusion of the XIIIth Summit of the Francophonie in Montreux under the theme of

28.10.2010 — Press releases EDA
The XIIIth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Francophonie, held in Montreux on 23 and 24 October under the presidency of Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, culminated in the Montreux Declaration, a substantive text accompanied by several resolutions. Switzerland welcomes the constructive and concrete results achieved by this summit, which also opened its doors to the public with numerous special literary and cultural events. The Secretary General of the Francophonie, Abdou Diouf, was elected for a third four-year term. The next Summit of the Francophonie will be hosted by the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012.

Cholera epidemic in Haiti: SDC sends drinking water experts

26.10.2010 — Press releases EDA
The SDC is sending two drinking water experts to Haiti. These will work together with the national authorities and support them in the testing and production of clean drinking water in rural areas. The goal is to ensure there is a secure source of drinking water in every municipality checked. In this way SDC is helping to tackle the causes of the disease in the fight against cholera.

Media (3534)

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis meets Uzbek foreign minister Bakhtiyor Saidov

16.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 16 October 2025, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, received the Uzbek foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Bern for an official visit. The talks centred on bilateral relations, regional cooperation in Central Asia, the war in Ukraine and Switzerland's chairpersonship of the OSCE next year.

Swiss–EU package: Federal Council proposals for greater involvement of cantons and Parliament

15.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
At its meeting on 15 October 2025, the Federal Council discussed measures to strengthen the involvement of the cantons and Parliament in Switzerland's foreign policy on the Swiss–EU package. Next steps for concluding an arrangement with the cantons and expanding information mechanisms for the parliamentary committees were also set out. These proposals will be included in the Federal Council dispatch expected to be submitted to Parliament in March 2026.

New Swiss ambassadors

15.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
As part of the FDFA's periodic transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council, personnel changes and the conferment of ambassadorial titles will take place in 2025 and 2026 at several Swiss representations and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

The geopolitics of knowledge: Ignazio Cassis at the 5th GESDA summit on the new frontiers opened up by technological development

14.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
From 15 to 17 October 2025, the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) summit will bring together around a thousand researchers, diplomats, ministers, representatives of the private sector and philanthropists to discuss the challenges posed by new technologies and their impact on people's lives. In his speech, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will highlight the work that science and diplomacy do together in facilitating discussions between states when they need to define rules for the use of new technologies. These types of negotiations often take place in Geneva.

Ignazio Cassis receives Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bellinzona

10.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, today welcomed the foreign minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, to Bellinzona for the fourth round of Switzerland and China's strategic dialogue. The meeting also coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Swiss diplomat Jürg Lauber elected ICRC new Vice-President

10.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
The Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has chosen Ambassador Jürg Lauber to succeed Gilles Carbonnier as Vice-President of the institution, who will end his second four-year term on 31 March 2026. Currently Switzerland's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva, Jürg Lauber is also this year the President of the UN Human Rights Council.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis meets with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel in Lisbon

09.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 9 October 2025, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, met with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel for official talks in Lisbon. The meeting provided an opportunity to highlight the close and strong ties between Switzerland and Portugal, which are strengthened in particular by the large Portuguese community living in Switzerland. Current geopolitical issues were also discussed.

Another success for Switzerland in efforts to abolish the death penalty

08.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
The UN Human Rights Council has adopted, by a large majority, a resolution put forward by Switzerland and seven other countries to ensure that those facing the death penalty have the right to equality before the law. This success represents a further step on the way to abolishing capital punishment. The 60th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) ended today following a month's work. This was also the final session chaired by Swiss diplomat Jürg Lauber.

EPC Summit in Copenhagen: President Keller-Sutter meets Cypriot leader ahead of Council of EU presidency

02.10.2025 — Press releases EDA
On Thursday, 2 October, the president of the Swiss Confederation, Karin Keller-Sutter, attended the European Political Community (EPC) summit meeting in Copenhagen. Ahead of Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the EU over the next six-month term, Ms Keller-Sutter took the opportunity to hold an in-depth discussion with the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, on the sidelines of the meeting of European heads of state and government.

Restitution of assets to the benefit of the population of Equatorial Guinea

29.09.2025 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement today on the restitution of CHF 22.8 million to Equatorial Guinea. The funds will be used to finance a project aimed at improving the quality of and access to primary healthcare services for vulnerable peoples in four of the Central African country's provinces. The funds returned will therefore benefit the country's population.

Ignazio Cassis reaffirms Switzerland's foreign policy priorities at 80th UN General Assembly in New York

25.09.2025 — Press releases EDA
During the high-level week of the 80th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the FDFA highlighted its priorities: promoting peace, respecting international humanitarian law and strengthening multilateral cooperation. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, took part in several conferences and bilateral meetings, addressing topics such as Switzerland's future OSCE chairpersonship in 2026, Russia's war against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the protection of civilians in armed conflicts.

In New York President Karin Keller-Sutter emphasises the responsibility of states to ensure security and freedom

24.09.2025 — Press releases EDA
At the opening of the General Debate at the UN in New York on Wednesday, 24 September, President Karin Keller-Sutter cited security and freedom as key values in marking the start of another new era 80 years after the founding of the UN. She also reaffirmed Switzerland's support for the UN's reform efforts.

Other news (151)

SwissInTouch, Switzerland in your pocket

24.11.2022 — Article EDA
Approximately 780,000 Swiss citizens abroad currently benefit from the wide range of services provided by a global network of representations offering advice and support. The FDFA Helpline is also on hand to answer queries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now there's a new app that makes staying in touch even easier: SwissInTouch keeps Switzerland at your fingertips.

Speech - 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki

29.01.2022 — EDA
Allocution du président de la Confédération Ignazio Cassis, chef du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères, à l’occasion du 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki - Check against delivery.

"Digitalisation - an opportunity for Europe's democratic values"

21.05.2021 — EDA
Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the occasion of the 131st (virtual) Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Check against delivery.

Official opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel

04.09.2020 — EDA
Camorino, 04.09.2020 - Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the Inauguration Ceremony "Ceneri2020" - Check against delivery

Passaggio di testimone tra generazioni (de-fr-it)

25.08.2020 — EDA
Bern, 25.08.2020: Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the retirement of the ambassadors and the welcoming of the young diplomats who are taking up their posts in the service of the FDFA. Check against delivery.

75 years of the United Nations (fr)

26.06.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 26.06.2020: Address by the Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter - Check against delivery

Opening of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council (fr)

24.02.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 24.02.2020 - Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis - Check against delivery

Discover the world with the FDFA and with peace mind

17.01.2020 — Article EDA
Just what is the perfect trip abroad? And where would it take you? Swiss travellers have different needs and expectations – some prefer to go on their own, others would rather choose an organised tour. It doesn't matter if you're a backpacker or a jet-setter: the FDFA provides a wide range of services for anyone who wants to travel abroad.

Switzerland and Italy reach an agreement on Campione d'Italia

20.12.2019 — EDA
At its meeting on 20 December 2019, the Federal Council approved an exchange of notes between Switzerland and Italy regarding the change of the customs status of the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia. This exchange of notes is necessary to ensure legal certainty and facilitates the transition of Campione d'Italia into the European Union's customs territory, scheduled for 1 January 2020.

Third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation

19.12.2019 — EDA
On 16 and 17 December 2019 a third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee, supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation on the basic principles for a mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods, signed on 9 November 2011, took place in Bern.

First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva brings together actors committed to finding shared solutions

17.12.2019 — EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis has opened the Global Refugee Forum together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The purpose of the forum, which takes place on 17 and 18 December at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, is to find shared solutions to meet the needs of refugees and their host communities.

Federal Council extends freeze on assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine

13.12.2019 — EDA
On 13 December 2019, the Federal Council decided to extend for one year the preventive freeze on the assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine. The purpose of this decision is to support the judicial cooperation between Switzerland and these two states.

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