Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström discuss article on immigration and bilateral matters

Bern, 05.04.2016 - Today, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter held bilateral talks with the Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström in Stockholm. The main topic of the meeting was Switzerland's policy towards the EU, in particular progress with the implementation of the new article in the Federal Constitution on immigration.

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), who was attending the Fifth Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding in Stockholm today, took the opportunity to meet the Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström for bilateral talks. Switzerland's policy towards the EU was one topic of the meeting, in particular implementation of the new article in the Federal Constitution on immigration. Mr Burkhalter stressed that Switzerland wanted to reach a mutually agreed solution with the EU by this summer.

Mr Burkhalter and Ms Wallström also discussed a number of bilateral issues. Sweden is Switzerland's largest Nordic trading partner with a trade volume of CHF 3.1 billion (2014). Swiss companies employ almost 18,000 people in Sweden. In addition, Switzerland and Sweden cooperate closely on consular matters. The last meeting between Mr Burkhalter and Ms Wallström took place on 15 September 2015 in Stockholm. The head of the FDFA took the opportunity of today's meeting to invite the Swedish Foreign Minister to Switzerland.


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https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-61222.html