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Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter receives Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders for political talks

31.08.2012

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will meet his Belgian counterpart next Tuesday in Neuchatel for working talks on bilateral, european and international topics. The Belgian Foreign Minister will also pay a courtesy visit to President of the Confederation Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. On Monday he will present members of the State Council of the Canton Valais and of the Town Council of Sierre with an award in recognition of their activity following the coach accident in March.

The main items on the agenda between the two foreign ministers on 4 September will be bilateral relations between Switzerland and Belgium, EU policy and the Federal Council’s proposals for institutional solutions with the EU as well as current international issues such as the situation in Syria, in Iran and in North Africa. In the course of their meeting, Federal Councillor Burkhalter and Foreign Minister Reynders will discuss the Euro crisis and the Francophonie summit which is due to take place in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) in October. 

On Tuesday, before the Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister travels to Neuchatel, he will pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Confederation Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. The main focus of their talks will be the memory of the coach accident on 13 March 2012 in which 28 people were killed in a motorway tunnel near Sierre. The victims included 22 Belgian and Dutch children. The coach accident will be the main focus of the first day of Foreign Minister Reynders' visit to Switzerland. On Monday, the Belgian Foreign Minister together with Mr Burkhalter will present members of the State Council of the Canton Valais and of the Town Council of Sierre with an award in recognition of their activity following the accident in March.     

Media contacts: 

3 September:

- About 17.00, Hôtel de Ville Sierre: Press conference with Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten, President of the State Council of the Canton Valais and Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders 

4 September:

- 10.30: Neuchâtel, Hôtel de Peyrou: photo opportunity at the arrival of Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter  and Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynder

- 13.15, Neuchâtel, Hôtel de Peyrou: Press conference with Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter and Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders     

Address for inquiries: Tilman Renz, stv. Chef Information EDA, +41 79 706 53 32 

 



Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
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