Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Finance Mrs. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf visited Singapore on the 3th of February to deepen the relations between Singapore and Switzerland in the field of finance and tax issues.

Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam and MAS Deputy Managing Director Jacqueline Loh to discuss both bilateral and multilateral questions of mutual interest. Singapore President Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam received Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf for a courtesy call. This call was an opportunity to emphasize the excellent relations between Switzerland and Singapore, who have maintained diplomatic relations since 1967.

Besides the official meetings, Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf also exchanged views with leading executive representatives from the Swiss financial industry in Singapore and visited the Singapore branch of the Swiss National Bank. The National Bank office in Singapore was established in 2013 in order to take adequate account of the growing foreign exchange reserves of the National Bank and the increasing importance of the Asia-Pacific region.

The Swiss Business Association together with the Swiss Embassy hosted an event for the Swiss business community at the Swiss Club where Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf spoke about the current challenges and opportunities for Switzerland and Europe. Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf also visited the Swiss School, an institution that reflects the successful and growing presence of the Swiss in Singapore.