Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter to make official visit to Luxembourg on Monday
Bern, 08.05.2015 - Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will make an official visit on Monday to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, during which he will meet the prime minister, Xavier Bettel, and the foreign minister, Jean Asselborn. He will also pay a courtesy visit to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The agenda of the talks between Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter and his interlocutors in Luxembourg will include bilateral relations, relations with the European Union (EU) and a review of the international political situation.
The head of the FDFA will inform the prime minister and foreign minister of Luxembourg of Switzerland's intention to implement the result of the popular vote of 9 February 2014, which calls for tighter control of migration while preserving the bilateral path with the EU. Luxembourg will assume the EU presidency in the second half of 2015. The bilateral path, which has been approved by Swiss voters several times in recent years, is intended to ensure Switzerland's independence and prosperity and is at the same time in the interests of both partners.
Relations between Switzerland and Luxembourg at the bilateral level will also be discussed during the meeting on Monday. The two countries maintain excellent and close relations and have much in common, including large foreign populations (45% in Luxembourg; 23.5% in Switzerland) and high numbers of cross-border commuters (161,000 in Luxembourg; 282,000 in Switzerland). In addition, Luxembourg and Bern often have similar views on fiscal and financial matters. The two countries are also closer than is often thought, including in a geographical sense, Luxembourg being, after Vaduz, the second nearest capital to Switzerland.
Furthermore, in economic terms, relations are close, especially in the services sector where Luxembourg's exports to Switzerland totalled EUR 4.8 billion in 2013 and Swiss exports to Luxembourg EUR 4.1 billion.
The talks are also expected to address Luxembourg's priorities during its presidency of the Council of the European Union, cooperation within the OSCE and its involvement in Ukraine, migration issues, cooperation within the United Nations (including support for International Geneva), the fight against terrorism and the situation in the Middle East, and the co-presidency of the European Space Agency, which Switzerland and Luxembourg hold from 2012 to 2016.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel visited the President of the Confederation in 2014 during an official visit to Neuchâtel. The President of the Confederation, for her part, visited Luxembourg in February 2015.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
