Bilateral relations and foreign policy cooperation at heart of strategic dialogue with UK
Bern, 30.09.2022 - FDFA State Secretary Livia Leu met with the interim political director and director general for Europe at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Julian Braithwaite, in Bern today for the second strategic dialogue between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The meeting focused on the European and global crises stemming from Russia's aggression against Ukraine and their consequences for Europe's security architecture. Political, economic and scientific cooperation was discussed in depth.
Switzerland and the UK seek to strengthen bilateral relations and their cooperation within international forums. Their annual high-level meetings serve this purpose. Most recently, in April, President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis signed a joint political declaration of intent on bilateral cooperation in London. The annual exchanges make it possible to set priorities for bilateral relations and discuss solutions to global challenges.
Today's talks focused on deepening political, economic and scientific cooperation between Switzerland and the UK. Here, the emphasis is on trade, financial services, research and innovation, and mobility.
The two delegations also exchanged views on the war of aggression against Ukraine, its global impact and post-war recovery. In 2023, the UK will organise the follow-up conference to the Ukraine Recovery Conference that took place in Lugano in July 2022. Ms Leu also apprised her counterpart of Switzerland's preparations for its 2023–24 seat on the UN Security Council. The UK is a permanent member of the Security Council.
Switzerland and the UK strengthen their bilateral ties through annual meetings. Since the end of the transition period between the UK and the EU on 1 January 2021, the provisions previously covered under agreements with the EU have been governed by a series of successor agreements.
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