Czech President Petr Pavel visits Switzerland
Published: Tuesday, Nov 5th 2024, 13:30
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Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlova arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday morning for a two-day state visit. The state guests were received at Zurich Airport by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd.
The program kicked off on Tuesday with the opening of an economic forum at ETH Zurich, as announced by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Visits to the Spiez Laboratory and the Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) in Thun were also planned. Security issues and cooperation in Europe were to be discussed there.
On Wednesday, the state guest will be received with military honors on the Federal Square in Bern. According to the FDFA, the subsequent talks with a delegation from the Federal Council will focus on bilateral relations, economic exchange, energy and migration as well as security issues, also with regard to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Due to the ongoing negotiations between Switzerland and the EU, current European policy will also be discussed. The situation in the Middle East and cooperation between the two countries at international level will also be on the agenda.
Around 11,000 Czechs live in Switzerland, while around 1,600 Swiss nationals live in the Czech Republic. The volume of trade with the Czech Republic amounted to around CHF 5.2 million in 2023 and has tripled since the turn of the millennium. Switzerland is the seventh-largest investor in the Czech Republic.
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