Here you can find the last 12 media releases and other news published by the FDFA, such as statements, announcements and articles, in chronological order.
All media releases can be found on the News Service of the Federal Administration.
17.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
On 17 May 2017 the Federal Council confirmed that the Federal Act on Cooperation with the States of Eastern Europe (Eastern Europe Cooperation Act) will come into force on 1 June 2017. The act was passed by Parliament on 30 September 2016.
17.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
On 17 May 2017, the Federal Council adopted the credit dispatch for Switzerland’s participation in Expo 2020 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates, UAE). The total budget is CHF 14.84 million, about half of which will financed by third party funds. The theme of Expo 2020 is "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". By participating in Expo 2020, Switzerland will be able to showcase its strengths – particularly in the areas of education, research, innovation and business – throughout the region. Expo 2020 also offers Switzerland an excellent opportunity to communicate to an international audience what it stands for and the values it represents.
16.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
On 16 May 2017 Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter received Ibrahim Ghandour, the Sudanese foreign minister, in Bern. It is the first time since 2005 that a meeting at ministerial level has taken place between the two countries. The meeting covered recent developments in Sudan, the country's role in the region and opportunities for dialogue and cooperation to enable progress in the areas of political reform, human rights promotion and compliance, the management of migration and the protection of migrants.
16.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
Migration, its consequences and what a country like Switzerland can do to help will be at the top of the agenda during Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter's two-day trip to Cyprus and Jordan. Mr Burkhalter, who is head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will be in Cyprus on Friday to attend the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. He will then go to Amman, the capital of Jordan, to inaugurate a water supply system in Azraq refugee camp. Switzerland's support for victims of the Syrian crisis is the country's largest humanitarian operation to date.
12.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
At its ministerial meeting held on 11 May 2017 in Fairbanks, Alaska, the Arctic Council granted Switzerland observer status. As an observer, Switzerland can now contribute expert knowledge to the Council at the level of working groups, particularly in the interdisciplinary area of climate change research. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum promoting the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable development in the Arctic.
10.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
On 10 May, the World Nature Forum, a visitors’, study and congress centre opened in Naters just a few months ago played host to this year’s cultural event in honour of the diplomatic corps. During the visit President Doris Leuthard took the opportunity to draw the attention of foreign ambassadors accredited in Switzerland to the ecological and economic challenges of the Alpine area.
10.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
A number of personnel changes will be made in 2017 in Swiss representations abroad and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The changes will take place as part of the usual transfer rotation and on the basis of decisions by the Federal Council. The appointments of heads of mission abroad become effective following approval by the respective host state.
09.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
Expertise, rapid response and good coordination save lives. Five teams from four countries are taking part in a training exercise designed to test their operational capabilities in a simulated emergency following a virtual earthquake. Swiss Humanitarian Aid, part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Swiss Armed Forces are hosting the three-day ACHILLES exercise, which is taking place between 8 and 10 May, mainly in the Swiss Armed Forces training village at Epeisses in the canton of Geneva. Alongside Swiss Rescue, teams from Germany, France and the UK are also taking part.
09.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of the Republic of Mozambique and opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama have agreed to extend indefinitely the ceasefire which was originally declared on 27 December 2016 for seven days and subsequently renewed twice for two months. Switzerland applauds both parties and will continue to support their efforts to achieve a lasting peaceful resolution to the conflict.
08.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
In 2015, the UN Security Council set up the Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. At the beginning of May, the UN appointed Stefan Mogl, head of the chemistry division of the Spiez Laboratory of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, to the Joint Investigative Mechanism’s three-person leadership panel for the second phase of the investigations until the end of 2017.
03.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter met Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen on Wednesday 3 May 2017 during an official visit to Bern. Both countries have expressed the wish to strengthen their exchanges and cooperation, in particular with regard to relations with the EU, security in Europe – specifically within the framework of the OSCE and the Council of Europe – and cooperation at the multilateral level and in the context of Africa.
01.05.2017
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Press releases
EDA
On 1 May 2017, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, renewed and expanded the 2013 agreement on cooperation between Switzerland and the ICRC. The new agreement will make it possible to explore the potential for innovative measures in fulfilling the ICRC’s humanitarian mandate. It could involve new technical solutions such as the reproduction of medical instruments in the field using 3D printing and the use of innovative financing models. International Geneva will also play a key role in the cooperation between the ICRC and Switzerland.
Last update 23.04.2025
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