Printer Friendly Version Political consultations between Switzerland and Serbia at the level of the DS, held on May 4th of this year. in Bern, 04.05.2023. @ 9 May 2023 10:27 AM

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Goran Aleksić, held political consultations with the State Secretary at the MFA of Switzerland, Livia Loy, in Bern on May 4, 2023. Serbia and Switzerland hold regular political consultations that serve to reaffirm the ties between the two countries and provide an opportunity to discuss in more detail and exchange opinions on current issues.

In addition to bilateral political issues, the talks focused on security in the Western Balkans, the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, the global impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine, international cooperation, trade, the joint fight against illegal migration and other issues of importance for bilateral relations of two countries. Serbia is Switzerland's most important political and economic partner in the Western Balkans, while Switzerland ranks fourth in on the list of service exchanges with Serbia.

Through the Swiss cooperation program 2022-25 implemented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland has provided Serbia with CHF 103 million to support democratic governance and civil society, economic development and employment, as well as climate change and sustainable urban development. Switzerland works closely with Serbia as part of the voting group at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The importance of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland, which numbers around 150,000 people and significantly helps the Serbian economy with its investments, was also highlighted.