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Switzerland strengthens commitment to gender equality and food security

12.08.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Federal Council is strengthening Switzerland's commitment to UN Women, the United Nations organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, and to IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The aim is to contribute even more effectively in future to improving both the situation of disadvantaged women and girls, and global food security. To this end, Switzerland is raising its general annual contributions to UN Women to CHF 16 million for 2015-2017, and to IFAD to CHF 15 million for the 2016-2018 period.

Federal Council enhances structure for negotiations with EU

12.08.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Federal Council has established a structure for the overall conduct of its negotiations with the European Union, under the direction of State Secretary Jacques de Watteville. The chief negotiator is responsible for ensuring an overall outcome of negotiations that corresponds to the objectives set out in the existing mandates. Mr de Watteville will remain attached to the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) but will report to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in this new capacity. He will keep the whole of the Federal Council regularly informed.

Swiss embassy in Paraguay to close

12.08.2015 — Press releases EDA
At its meeting on 12 August 2015, the Federal Council decided for financial reasons to close the Swiss embassy in Paraguay. From 2016 the Swiss embassy in Buenos Aires and an honorary representation in Asunción will represent Switzerland's interests in Paraguay and together serve the needs of the Swiss community there.

Switzerland’s membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: public consultation procedure (last modification, the 12.08.2015)

12.08.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Federal Council has launched the consultation procedure with a view to Switzerland joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Established at China’s initiative, AIIB is a new independent financial institution. Its purpose is to foster sustainable economic development in Asia by financing infrastructure projects. The consultation period is set to run until 2 September 2015.

Federal Councillor Burkhalter in Cuba

11.08.2015 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter is in Cuba from 13-14 August 2015 to attend the reopening of the US embassy in Havana on 14 August on the invitation of US Secretary of State John Kerry. On 13 August the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is meeting his Cuban counterpart Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla on an official visit.

Farmer’s brunch on 1 August at the Swiss pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

30.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann, Vice-President of the Federal Council, and Claude Hêche, President of the Council of States, will celebrate 1 August 2015 at the Swiss pavilion at Expo Milano with a farmer’s brunch. Award-winning producers from the Swiss Local Food Competition will be on hand at the Swiss National Day celebrations, inviting the public to taste their specialities. The official delegation, comprising representatives from the worlds of politics, agriculture and tourism, will arrive at Rho Fiera Milano station on the Treno del gusto with on-board chef Georges Wenger holding special tasting workshops. Miss Switzerland, Laetitia Guarino, will be the patron of the celebrations at the Swiss pavilion, and the Swiss Military Brass Band will provide entertainment.

Switzerland regrets the building permit for 300 housing units in the West Bank and the plans for a further 500 in East Jerusalem

30.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
On 29 July the Israeli government approved the building of 300 housing units in the Beit El settlement in the West Bank. Switzerland regrets this decision as well as the plan to build a further 500 housing units in East Jerusalem.

Visit by FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier to Iran

24.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
The State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Yves Rossier, was in Iran from Monday 20 to Thursday 23 July 2015 for political discussions that take place on a regular basis between Switzerland and Iran. The last discussions of this kind took place in Murten in 2014.

1 August 2015: Swiss military band plays in south-eastern Europe

22.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Swiss Confederation will celebrate its 2015 National Day with Swiss nationals living in south-eastern Europe. At the initiative of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Chief of the Armed Forces, Lt Gen André Blattmann, a small ensemble of 15 players from the Swiss Military Band, will provide the musical background for festivities at the embassies in Greece, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo.

New framework to implement and finance sustainable development: Switzerland welcomes outcome of Addis Ababa conference

Conference room of the International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa. © UNECA

16.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, attended by some 30 heads of government, over 100 ministers and around 7,000 representatives from politics, civil society, the private sector and academia, has come to a close. After tough negotiations, the international community has agreed on a new framework to implement and finance sustainable development. The framework opens the way for adoption at the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in September of the new goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expire at the end of this year. The Swiss delegation qualified the outcome of the Addis Ababa conference as a "groundbreaking" success.

Humanitarian, technical and financial cooperation: Switzerland and Ethiopia sign a framework agreement

15.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
Today in Addis Ababa, the Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Manuel Sager and the Minister of State for Finance and Economic Development of Ethiopia, Ahmed Shide, have signed a framework agreement on humanitarian aid and technical and financial cooperation, which enters into force with its signing. The agreement provides for strengthened cooperation between Switzerland and Ethiopia in the areas of food security, managing natural resources, social development and the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons.

Switzerland welcomes nuclear deal between Iran and E3/EU+3

14.07.2015 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland welcomes the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement between the E3/EU+3 and Iran concerning the Iranian nuclear programme and the gradual lifting of sanctions. This sends out an important signal that major international political disputes can be resolved peacefully and diplomatically.

Media (3499)

Switzerland reopens its embassy in Iran – ambassador returns to Tehran

06.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
As of today, 6 July 2025, the Swiss embassy in Tehran is open again after having temporarily closed on 20 June due to the unstable situation in Iran. Ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano and a small team returned to Tehran yesterday overland via Azerbaijan. The embassy will gradually resume operations.

Ignazio Cassis in Asia for ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and bilateral talks

03.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, will be travelling to Asia from 7 to 13 July 2025. He will attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. His participation highlights the growing economic and geopolitical importance of the South East Asian states. Official working visits to Nepal, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore are also planned around the conference.

Presentation of credentials

02.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Ambassadors newly accredited to Switzerland present their credentials

FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel in Germany for political consultations

01.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Alexandre Fasel, the state secretary of the FDFA, was in Berlin on 1 July 2025 to hold political consultations with his German counterpart, the state secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, Géza Andreas von Geyr. Talks focused on current geopolitical developments, bilateral issues and the opening of the consultation procedure in Switzerland on the agreements in the new Swiss-EU package. Mr Fasel also met with the state secretary of Germany's Federal Chancellery, Jörg Semmler.

Switzerland attends 4th International Conference on Financing for Development

30.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
Switzerland will be participating in the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025. Organised under the auspices of the United Nations, this global event aims to address financing challenges in order to help achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. The conference will cover a wide range of issues relating to development policy, environmental, economic and social sustainability, and macroeconomics. The Swiss delegation is being led by Patricia Danzi, director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Karin Keller-Sutter to meet Emmanuel Macron in Paris

27.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Karin Keller-Sutter, is to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday, 1 July. The geopolitical situation and security issues will be at the centre of their discussions. Also on the agenda are bilateral relations between Switzerland and France, European policy and competitiveness.

Switzerland to host a global summit on artificial intelligence in 2027

25.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 25 June 2025, the Federal Council expressed its intention to host an artificial intelligence (AI) summit in Geneva in 2027.

Security and defence partnership: Federal Council to seek exploratory talks with the EU

25.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
At its meeting on 25 June 2025, the Federal Council decided to enter into exploratory talks with the EU with a view to concluding a security and defence partnership. These partnerships provide the EU with a framework for enhancing cooperation with third countries in this field. A security and defence partnership takes the form of non-legally-binding declaration of intent and can be designed individually. A partnership of this kind is a prerequisite for any joint procurements in the defence sector. It is compatible with neutrality and helps to strengthen Switzerland's defence capabilities.

Earthquake simulation exercise: 12 countries train in Kriens to save lives

25.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
The earthquakes in Myanmar in April 2025 and in Turkey in February 2023 claimed countless lives. Internationally deployable rescue teams provide vital assistance in such emergencies, and regular training is key to ensuring the efficiency of their operations. To that end Switzerland is conducting the international earthquake simulation exercise ‘SIMEX25’ in Kriens (canton of Lucerne) from 23 to 27 June. Rescue teams from 12 countries are taking part.

FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel holds political consultations in France

25.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel was in Paris on 25 June 2025 for political consultations. In addition to bilateral topics and cross-border issues, the talks at France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs centred on current geopolitical developments and the opening of the consultation procedure in Switzerland on the agreements in the new Swiss–EU package to stabilise and develop relations.

Switzerland and EU regulate cooperation during ratification phase of package

24.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 24 June 2025, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will sign a joint declaration in Brussels. It sets out arrangements for cooperation between Switzerland and the EU from the end of 2024 until the entry into force of the Swiss–EU package. At its meeting on 13 June 2025, the Federal Council approved the agreements, protocols and statements for the new package to stabilise and further develop Switzerland's bilateral approach with the EU and opened the domestic consultation process.

New Swiss ambassadors

20.06.2025 — Press releases EDA
Personnel changes and the conferment of ambassadorial titles will take place in 2025 at several Swiss representations and at the head office of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) as part of the FDFA's periodic transfer rotation and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council.

Other news (151)

SwissInTouch, Switzerland in your pocket

24.11.2022 — Article EDA
Approximately 780,000 Swiss citizens abroad currently benefit from the wide range of services provided by a global network of representations offering advice and support. The FDFA Helpline is also on hand to answer queries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now there's a new app that makes staying in touch even easier: SwissInTouch keeps Switzerland at your fingertips.

Speech - 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki

29.01.2022 — EDA
Allocution du président de la Confédération Ignazio Cassis, chef du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères, à l’occasion du 150e anniversaire du passage de la frontière de l’armée du général Bourbaki - Check against delivery.

"Digitalisation - an opportunity for Europe's democratic values"

21.05.2021 — EDA
Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the occasion of the 131st (virtual) Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Check against delivery.

Official opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel

04.09.2020 — EDA
Camorino, 04.09.2020 - Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the Inauguration Ceremony "Ceneri2020" - Check against delivery

Passaggio di testimone tra generazioni (de-fr-it)

25.08.2020 — EDA
Bern, 25.08.2020: Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the occasion of the retirement of the ambassadors and the welcoming of the young diplomats who are taking up their posts in the service of the FDFA. Check against delivery.

75 years of the United Nations (fr)

26.06.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 26.06.2020: Address by the Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter - Check against delivery

Opening of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council (fr)

24.02.2020 — EDA
Geneva, 24.02.2020 - Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis - Check against delivery

Discover the world with the FDFA and with peace mind

17.01.2020 — Article EDA
Just what is the perfect trip abroad? And where would it take you? Swiss travellers have different needs and expectations – some prefer to go on their own, others would rather choose an organised tour. It doesn't matter if you're a backpacker or a jet-setter: the FDFA provides a wide range of services for anyone who wants to travel abroad.

Switzerland and Italy reach an agreement on Campione d'Italia

20.12.2019 — EDA
At its meeting on 20 December 2019, the Federal Council approved an exchange of notes between Switzerland and Italy regarding the change of the customs status of the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia. This exchange of notes is necessary to ensure legal certainty and facilitates the transition of Campione d'Italia into the European Union's customs territory, scheduled for 1 January 2020.

Third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation

19.12.2019 — EDA
On 16 and 17 December 2019 a third meeting of the Working Group on Unresolved Issues established by the Joint Committee, supervising the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation on the basic principles for a mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods, signed on 9 November 2011, took place in Bern.

First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva brings together actors committed to finding shared solutions

17.12.2019 — EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis has opened the Global Refugee Forum together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The purpose of the forum, which takes place on 17 and 18 December at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, is to find shared solutions to meet the needs of refugees and their host communities.

Federal Council extends freeze on assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine

13.12.2019 — EDA
On 13 December 2019, the Federal Council decided to extend for one year the preventive freeze on the assets relating to Tunisia and Ukraine. The purpose of this decision is to support the judicial cooperation between Switzerland and these two states.

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