State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda and Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura signed a bilateral agreement in Prague on 29 June to implement Switzerland's second contribution to selected EU Member States. Switzerland will support a programme in the Czech Republic worth CHF 76.9 million. With Helene Budliger Artieda's visit to Prague, Switzerland underlined its interest in further strengthening the already very good bilateral relations with the Czech Republic.

The new cooperation programme takes into account the Czech Republic's current needs. It aims to strengthen Swiss-Czech partnerships in areas where Switzerland can offer added value thanks to its expertise and experience. These include research and innovation, migration and integration, the health system, sustainable tourism and the protection and preservation of biodiversity. A total of CHF 76.9 million is available for this purpose.

One focus is to better manage tourist flows in national parks and nature parks. In some places, the parks suffer from heavy tourist traffic with corresponding consequences for the environment. Here, sustainable and alternative tourism models are to be designed and implemented with Swiss know-how. This also contributes to the protection of biodiversity.

In addition, planned reforms in the areas of research infrastructure, home health care and social and economic integration of migrants are co-financed and supported by Swiss expertise.

The second Swiss contribution to selected EU states, implemented by SECO, SDC and SEM, is an investment in security, stability and prosperity in Europe. It aims to strengthen cohesion, reduce economic and social disparities and support countries under migratory pressure. With the Swiss contribution, Switzerland is also strengthening and deepening bilateral relations with EU partner countries and the EU as a whole.