President Schneider-Ammann at 20th anniversary of ASEM in Ulaanbaatar
Bern, 16.07.2016 - To round off his Asia trip, President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann has attended the 11th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. The summit was dedicated to celebrating the 20th anniversary of ASEM, emphasising the partnership between Asia and Europe and connecting the continents. Following the attack in Nice, the participants expressed their solidarity with France and its people. On the fringes of the gathering, President Schneider-Ammann has held talks with representatives from a number of Asian and European states.
At the summit Mr Schneider-Ammann condemned the terrorist attack in Nice in the strongest terms. Later he called on ASEM members in Ulaanbaatar to pursue negotiations on trade liberalisation for economic, social and environmentally sustainable growth on a more multilateral basis through the World Trade Organization (WTO). Regional agreements, which are currently proving to be extremely popular trade policy instruments, generate administrative costs for businesses.
He also cited vocational education and training as a decisive factor in opening up prospects for all sections of the population, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable. Switzerland therefore places great importance on this in its development cooperation programmes, also in its partner countries in Asia. The president stressed that ASEM should aim to establish a framework to further intensify the ties between Asia and Europe.
The president also called on ASEM members to fulfil their humanitarian responsibilities. Seldom have so many people been affected by conflicts and disasters as today. AT the same time, humanitarian aid is being stretched to its limits. The suffering of those affected can only be diminished if all states work together.
On the fringes of the summit the president met with a number of heads of state and government. He held talks with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the Croation president, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Polish prime minister, Beata Szydlo, and the prime minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, whose country will hold the presidency of the EU Council
in the first half of 2017. At all these meetings Mr Schneider-Ammann stressed Switzerland’s desire to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the implementation of article 121a of the constitution. He also pointed out to his discussion partners the time constraints in implementing the article.
The Mongolian president, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, whose country organised the 11th dialogue between Asia and Europe, thanked Switzerland for its efforts and contribution towards his country’s development. The main subject of discussion during the meeting with the Vietnamese prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, was the negotiations on a free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Vietnam. Mr Schneider Ammann also met the Russian prime minister, Dimitri Medvedev. During that discussion Mr Johann N. Schneider-Ammann expressed Switzerland’s continued interest in concluding a free trade agreement within the EFTA framework, but stated that favourable political conditions first needed to be established.
Note for editors: A press release about the meeting with the president of the European Commission will be issued separately.
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