Former Federal Councillor Berset makes first working visit to Switzerland
Keystone-SDA
Council of Europe Secretary General and former Swiss government minister Alain Berset has visited Switzerland for the first time in his current role.
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Talks with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter centred on cooperation between Switzerland and the Council of Europe.
The talks focused primarily on strengthening democracy and peace efforts in Ukraine, as announced by the Federal Department of Finance (FDF).
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As part of its cooperation with the Council of Europe, Switzerland emphasised its commitment to the people affected by the war by joining the Register of Damage in connection with the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine in 2023. Switzerland is also providing financial support for the Action Plan for Ukraine 2023-2026.
Both sides also emphasised the need to protect and promote democracy. Switzerland adheres to the Reykjavik Principles on Democracy, which commit all Council of Europe member states to preserving and strengthening democracy. Switzerland also supports the New Democratic Pact for Europe initiated by Berset.
Other global issues such as artificial intelligence and the strengthening of multilateral cooperation were also discussed at the meeting, the FDF added.
Switzerland and the Council of Europe have been working closely together for a long time. This includes institutional and financial issues as well as topics relating to the role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in protecting fundamental rights in Europe.
Berset’s working visit was the first ever since the former Federal Councillor took office as Secretary General of the Council of Europe in 2024. In addition to Keller-Sutter, Berset also met with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi and House of Representatives President Maja Riniker for talks.
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Translated from German with DeepL/mga
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