State visit by French President François Hollande on 15 and 16 April
Bern, 09.04.2015 - On 15 and 16 April, the Federal Council will receive the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, on a state visit. The visit will focus on the strong and friendly ties between Switzerland and France; talks are also set to cover areas in which Switzerland and France could expand their cooperation. The EU policy of both countries will also be an important topic of discussion.
The President of the French Republic will be received in Bern with military honours by the entire Federal Council on Wednesday, 15 April. The official talks between President Sommaruga and President Hollande, which will take place afterwards, will also be attended by several members of both governments. On the Swiss side this will be Federal Councillors Johann N. Schneider-Ammann (EAER), Doris Leuthard (DETEC), Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (FDF) and Didier Burkhalter (FDFA).
On the evening of the first day a gala dinner will be held. On the second day of the state visit, President Sommaruga and President Hollande will visit educational institutions and businesses in the Zurich region and in Lausanne.
Tradition of close relations
Close relations have existed between Switzerland and France for centuries. The Swiss Confederation opened its first representation in Paris in 1798. To this day, the two countries continue to enjoy an excellent relationship: more Swiss citizens (around 200,000) live in France than in any other foreign country - and more French citizens (around 170,000) live in Switzerland than in any country other than France itself. In economic terms, France is Switzerland's fourth most important trading partner after German, the USA and Italy. More than 150,000 French residents regularly commute to work in Switzerland. The economic exchanges that are of considerable benefit to both countries will therefore be another key aspect of the visit. The focus in this case will be on the common goal of maintaining a competitive economy that at the same time meets its social and ecological responsibilities.
The last official visit to Switzerland by a French president was made by Jacques Chirac in 1998. Prior to that, President François Mitterrand paid a state visit to Switzerland in 1983. The most recent meeting between the two countries at the highest level was held in October 2014, when President Hollande received the then Swiss President Didier Burkhalter in Paris. In January 2015, President Sommaruga attended the march in Paris to honour the victims of the terrorist attacks in the French capital.Address for enquiries
FDJP Information Service, T +41 (0)58 462 18 18
FDFA Information, Isabelle Wüthrich, +41 (0)58 462 31 53 (Logistics and organisation/ accreditation)
Publisher
Federal Department of Justice and Police
http://www.ejpd.admin.ch
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
