Press releases

Victims of National Socialism: Call for proposals to design the memorial in Bern

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
In April 2023, the Federal Council decided to establish a memorial in the centre of Bern for the victims of National Socialism. The Federal Council considers it vital to keep alive the memory of the consequences of National Socialism, as well as the fate of the six million Jews and all other victims of the Nazi regime. On the recommendation of the communal parliament of the City of Bern, the Casinoterrasse near the Federal Parliament was selected as the location for the site of remembrance. A call is now being organised to gather proposals for the its creation from multidisciplinary teams in the fields of art, architecture and history.

Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to reconstruction at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) has been held since 2022 to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. At this year's conference, which took place in Rome from 10 to 11 July, the head of the Swiss delegation, Jacques Gerber, signed an international treaty with Ukraine. This forms the legal basis for increased cooperation with the Swiss private sector in reconstruction. Projects in the areas of health, education and war risk insurance were also approved.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis at ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Conference: global security and bilateral relations at centre of talks

11.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
On 10 and 11 July, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia. His participation underlines South East Asia's growing economic importance to Switzerland. Mr Cassis used the platform to discuss economic ties, bilateral relations and global challenges with his counterparts from Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. For the first time, he also met the new Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand on the margins of the conference.

Strengthening economic ties is focus of talks by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis in Nepal and Bhutan

09.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis visited Nepal and Bhutan during his week-long trip to Asia from 7 to 9 July. The official talks with government representatives centred on bilateral relations and opportunities for deeper economic cooperation.

Les droits des femmes et la non-discrimination au cœur du travail de la Suisse pendant la 59e session du Conseil des droits de l’homme.

08.07.2025 — Press releases EDA
Dans un contexte global marqué par le recul de l’Etat de droit, la Suisse travaille avec détermination en faveur des droits de l’homme. Pour cette 59ème session du Conseil des droits de l’homme (CDH) des Nations Unies, un accent particulier a été placé sur la promotion des droits des femmes et de l’égalité de genre, ainsi que sur les droits des personnes LGBT. La session, qui s'est clôturée aujourd’hui après trois semaines et demie de débats, a été marquée par une adaptation du travail imposée par les restrictions budgétaires affectant l’ensemble du système onusien.

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.

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.

Humanitarian action: Didier Burkhalter calls for a greater commitment from the international community

15.10.2015 — Press releases EDA

Bern, 15.10.2015 - Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, has emphasised that the security and dignity of persons affected by humanitarian crises and disasters are priorities of Swiss foreign policy. He was speaking in front of some 900 representatives of the international community at a meeting in Geneva to prepare for the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016. The Global Consultation on humanitarian action, which Switzerland is co-chairing, is being held in the lakeside city from 14 to 16 October. This conference represents a decisive stage in discussions on the future of humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian action: Didier Burkhalter calls for a greater commitment from the international community

15.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, has emphasised that the security and dignity of persons affected by humanitarian crises and disasters are priorities of Swiss foreign policy. He was speaking in front of some 900 representatives of the international community at a meeting in Geneva to prepare for the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016. The Global Consultation on humanitarian action, which Switzerland is co-chairing, is being held in the lakeside city from 14 to 16 October. This conference represents a decisive stage in discussions on the future of humanitarian aid.

Bundesrat verabschiedet Botschaft zum Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen mit Oman

14.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Der Bundesrat hat heute die Botschaft zum neuen Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen mit Oman verabschiedet und den Eidgenössischen Räten zur Genehmigung unterbreitet. Das Abkommen fördert die bilateralen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen und enthält Bestimmungen über den Informationsaustausch auf Anfrage gemäss OECD-Standard.

Entwicklungsprojekte für Ressourceneffizienz

13.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Die interdepartementale REPIC-Plattform fördert während einer Pilotphase neu auch internationale Projekte im Bereich der Ressourceneffizienz. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Abfallbehandlung und -verwertung sowie der effizienten Nutzung von Rohstoffen in der industriellen Produktion.

Working visit to Bern by Tunisian Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche

13.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, received the Tunisian Foreign Minister, Taieb Baccouche, on a courtesy visit on Tuesday, 13 October 2015. They discussed the state visit to Switzerland by the President of Tunisia, which is scheduled for November of this year. Mr Baccouche also met with Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter for a working visit in Bern.

Switzerland calls for preventive measures for people displaced by natural disasters and the effects of climate change

12.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Better protection is needed for people who are forced to flee their homes as a result of disasters or the effects of climate change. That is why in 2012 Switzerland and Norway launched a global consultation process (the Nansen Initiative), in order to better understand population movements caused by disasters and the effects of climate change and to identify measures to provide better protection for those affected. The results of this consultation process – the Protection Agenda – are being presented in Geneva on 12 and 13 October 2015. In his opening address at the Nansen Initiative Global Consultation, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter expressed satisfaction that the consultation process was able to heighten awareness of the situation these people face. The important thing now, he said, is for states to implement the agenda.

World Day against the Death Penalty: Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter launches a call for dialogue on abolition

09.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
In a new joint declaration with 17 other foreign ministers, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter has emphasised the importance of constructive dialogue between countries which have already abolished the death penalty, and those which have yet to do so. Dialogue is an important means of achieving worldwide abolition, he said. Switzerland firmly rejects the death penalty, under all circumstances, and is committed to its abolition worldwide by 2025.

Beyond one’s own four kitchen walls – the SDC opens a window on development cooperation

08.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) will be welcoming visitors to discover a world of exotic fragrances and tastes at this year's Swiss Agriculture and Food Fair, the OLMA (Hall 9.0). At a special exhibition, the SDC will be presenting seven selected projects from different continents illustrating its efforts to help reduce poverty and hunger in the world while promoting environmentally sound agriculture. This year’s OLMA will be held in St. Gallen, from 8 to 18 October 2015.

Switzerland at IMF and World Bank Group 2015 Annual Meetings in Lima

08.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf as Head of the Swiss delegation, Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann and Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the joint Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Lima, Peru, from 8 to 10 October 2015. Important topics are the global economic situation, the role of the IMF and of the World Bank Group in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the link between development and demographic change.

Switzerland condemns escalation of violence in Middle East

07.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is concerned about the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the past few weeks. The FDFA believes that the violence and provocation on both sides is undermining efforts to build trust and engender hope for peace.

Federal Council appoints future commissioner general for Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2017 in Astana

07.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
Manuel Salchli, head of major international events at Presence Switzerland, has been appointed by the Federal Council as commissioner general for the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2017, which will take place from 10 June to 10 September in Astana, Kazakhstan. Mauro Reina, Swiss ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, has been appointed deputy commissioner general.

New Swiss Abroad Act comes into force on 1 November 2015

07.10.2015 — Press releases EDA
At its meeting today the Federal Council adopted the Swiss Abroad Ordinance as well as the Ordinance on Fees of the FDFA, to come into force on 1 November 2015 together with the Swiss Abroad Act. This act brings together the most important provisions governing the Swiss abroad in a single piece of legislation. The two ordinances contain provisions for its implementation.

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.