«United in a trustful and prosperous relationship» EN
Bern, 29.08.2016 - Ansprache von Bundesrat Didier Burkhalter anlässlich des offiziellen Festaktes zum 50. Jahrestag der Aufnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen zwischen dem Staat Kuwait und der Schweiz in Bern - Es gilt das gesprochene Wort
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends
Today we are celebrating what married couples call a golden wedding anniversary. It is 50 years ago that Switzerland and Kuwait established diplomatic relations. 50 years – that is something to be proud of.
It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to this celebration. And it is a particular honour for me to welcome H.E. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, and his delegation to Bern. Thank you for being here today.
The Swiss Federal Council recognized the State of Kuwait on 17 October 1961, only weeks after it had gained its independence. On 18 March 1966, the Federal Council decided to establish diplomatic relations. This is to say that we can actually celebrate two anniversaries this year: 50 years of diplomatic relations and 55 years since the recognition of the State of Kuwait.
In 1964, even before the opening of a diplomatic representation, Kuwait Airways started its operations with a connecting flight from Geneva to London. This illustrates that personal ties, economic matters and tourism have always been a driving force in our bilateral relations.
Two years later, Kuwait opened its Consulate in Geneva that was upgraded to a General Consulate after only one year. Switzerland, in return, opened an Honorary Consulate in Kuwait City that was transformed into an Embassy headed by a Chargé d’Affaires in 1975.
But something much more important even happened in that same year – in 1975: along with an official Kuwaiti delegation, the National soccer team of Kuwait visited Switzerland and played a friendly match versus Neuchâtel Xamax.
Some of you may ask themselves what Neuchâtel Xamax is. Well, it was one of Switzerland’s top soccer teams at the time.
Why was this event of particular importance? Two reasons:
First of all, the match was played in my hometown, the beautiful Neuchâtel, and versus my favourite team, Neuchâtel Xamax. This reflects the distinctive taste the Kuwaitis have had throughout our relationship. Secondly, this story illustrates the richness and openness we live in our bilateral relations. Hopefully, you will experience some more of it during today’s festivity.
In the past 50 years, we have established a trustful and prosperous relation built on friendship.
Switzerland was always standing firm at Kuwait’s side, especially during the most difficult period of its history: the invasion and occupation in 1990. My country immediately condemned the aggression against Kuwait and granted temporary residence to Kuwaiti citizen who were suddenly locked out of their homeland.
For the first time, Switzerland adopted sanctions by the United Nations. This was a ground-breaking decision in our foreign policy and established a course of action we have followed ever since.
As prosperous countries of limited size, Switzerland and Kuwait both rely on diplomacy and economic relations to assert their distinct place in the international community. We promote dialogue in situations of tensions and keep channels of communication open. The culture of listening, respecting and searching for common ground seems set in our nations’ DNA. Switzerland as well as Kuwait put special emphasis on providing good offices to the international community.
We both hosted UN peace talks on Yemen, for example. We both know all too well how difficult it is to accomplish peace today. But we both are determined to continue our efforts – failure cannot be an option. We owe this to all the men, women and children suffering from war, in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere.
We just had a substantial and open discussion about regional conflicts and their consequences. We exchanged views – and found common ground. Especially in the humanitarian field, we have identified potential for deepening our cooperation. This is why a memorandum of understanding between the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development was signed today.
Honourable guests, Switzerland looks forward to working with you in this field. Kuwait is one of the biggest donors worldwide and spends far above the UN-goal of 0.7%. You are, for example, the biggest donor in Syria, where humanitarian assistance is so badly needed. We are keen to share our experience and expertise with you, on issues such as how to spend ODA cost-efficiently and effectively. The MoU is a first step towards a win-win partnership between our two countries that will ultimately benefit those people who are most in need of assistance.
I am glad to announce that today’s celebration is only the starting point for various bilateral contacts and projects in the upcoming months. The President of the Swiss Confederation, Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, will pay a visit to Kuwait in November. Furthermore, the President of the National Council, Ms. Christa Markwalder, is invited by her counterpart and will visit Kuwait in November as well. Further projects are planned in the academic and cultural field. The range and variety of these activities is bound to deepen the bilateral relations of our two countries.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests
A golden anniversary is great. But let us not rest there. Let us work hard to take our cooperation and friendship to the next level – that would be the diamond anniversary... I wish you an enjoyable continuation of the festivity with many interesting encounters and enriching talks.
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