“Striving for unity in diversity” is the foundation of Switzerland
Published: Tuesday, Jul 30th 2024, 20:10
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In his speech on 1 August at the Maison Suisse in Paris on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis emphasized the "pursuit of unity in diversity" as Switzerland's founding principle. Thanks to this, Switzerland has been built into the country it is today.
The Swiss National Day commemorates the decision of three Alpine communities to form a Confederation. With this "pact of mutual support", the differences between the communities were overcome "in order to achieve a common goal", said the Foreign Minister. "Our ancestors knew how to follow unity every time." This was also the case when the pact was extended to other communities.
"This fundamental principle must continue to inspire us and guide our actions, including in foreign policy," Mr Cassis continued in his speech. The Maison Suisse and the Swiss embassy in Paris are also an "outstanding example of openness, cohesion and joint commitment", the Federal Councillor continued.
The athletes taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their companions "are among our best ambassadors", said Cassis. Sport is one of the few - and therefore valuable - things that all people, nations and communities on our planet share.
In addition to "striving for unity in diversity", Cassis also emphasized the "intensive relations" between Switzerland and France in his speech. With a share of around 210,000 people, the largest community of Swiss abroad lives in France. In turn, the largest community of French nationals abroad, around 170,000 in number according to the Federal Councillor, live in Switzerland. Direct investment on both sides is also "remarkable".
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