Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hold working meeting in Geneva

Press releases, 28.11.2018

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussed bilateral, multilateral and global issues during a working lunch in Geneva. This was the first extensive bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers, who until now had only met on the margins of conferences.

FDFA Head Ignazio Cassis meets his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov for bilateral talks.
First extensive bilateral meeting between foreign ministers Cassis and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. © Keystone

During the working lunch, the two ministers discussed Swiss-Russian relations, the conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan and current challenges in the Council of Europe. 

Switzerland and Russia maintain solid ties. In view of the continuing friction at the international level, Switzerland is committed to maintaining dialogue and pursues an impartial, even-handed policy towards Russia. Since a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation was signed by the two foreign ministries in 2007, contact between Swiss and Russian representatives has increased significantly with up to 15 meetings a year. This format makes it possible to address challenges in Swiss-Russian relations jointly.


Further information:

Bilateral relations Switzerland – Russia


Address for enquiries:

FDFA Information
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-mail: info@eda.admin.ch


Publisher:

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs