The meeting between Mr Cassis and his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajčák will focus on bilateral issues, European policy and aspects of security in Europe. Mr Lajčák is currently the chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
From the Slovak capital Mr Cassis will travel on to Helsinki, where the 129th Session of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is taking place on 17 May. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, which was founded in 1949, the session will concentrate on the political and financial challenges facing the organisation, possible reforms and its future direction. The organisation also wants to strengthen the focus on topical issues such as artificial intelligence.
On the eve of the session, Mr Cassis will attend a ceremony to mark the Council of Europe's 70th anniversary and deposit the instrument of ratification of its Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions. The Macolin Convention governs mutual legal assistance in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions and will come into force for all contracting states three months after being ratified by Switzerland.
On the margins of the Committee of Ministers session, Mr Cassis will meet with Liliane Maury Pasquier, a member of the Swiss Council of States and currently president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He will also use the session as an opportunity for bilateral meetings.
Further information:
Bilateral relations Switzerland – Slovakia
Bilateral relations Switzerland – Finland
FDFA: Council of Europe
Address for enquiries:
FDFA Information
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
E-mail: info@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
