Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan
Bern, 30.06.2023 - The head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) will visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan from 3 to 9 July 2023 to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest. Discussions will focus on bilateral relations, regional development, cooperation in multilateral forums, Switzerland's economic presence and regional water management.
Mr Cassis will visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan to promote Switzerland's interests and discuss the overall geopolitical situation and development prospects in the region. The trip will also be an opportunity to discuss the three countries' relations with their neighbours, particularly in view of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the repercussions of the precarious situation in Afghanistan.
Meetings in Astana and Tashkent to focus on development and economic cooperation
Mr Cassis will first visit Kazakhstan, before travelling to Uzbekistan. Economic ties between these two countries and Switzerland are growing stronger. Mr Cassis will attend the reopening of the Swiss honorary consulate in Kazakhstan's economic capital Almaty, where he will meet a group of Swiss business leaders.
Discussions will also focus on the Bretton Woods institutions, as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are both members of Switzerland's voting group. Security policy will also be discussed with these two OSCE member states.
Regional water management is another important item on the agenda. The Blue Peace Central Asia initiative was launched in 2014 to promote dialogue between the nations of Central Asia in the face of growing competition for water resources, which is fuelling political tensions and increasing the risk of conflict. Both the Kazakh and Uzbek governments have embarked on major water sector reforms that have enhanced their national water policies. The visits will allow Mr Cassis to discuss these reforms with political leaders and will include briefings on the progress achieved by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation's water management projects.
The talks in Uzbekistan will also be an opportunity to take stock of the first stage of implementation of the agreement on the restitution of illicitly acquired assets signed in Bern on 16 August 2022. Working closely with Uzbekistan and the UN, Switzerland is committed to ensuring that these assets will benefit the people of Uzbekistan.
A number of official meetings at ministerial level are scheduled in Astana and Tashkent. In addition to his counterparts, Mr Cassis will also meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
Strong signal of solidarity with Pakistan
Mr Cassis will visit Pakistan on 8 July at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit underscores Switzerland's strong solidarity with the country following the worst floods of the century in 2022. Pakistan is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
In addition to the members of his official delegation, Mr Cassis will be accompanied by National Councillors Greta Gysin (Swiss Green Party/Ticino), Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (The Centre/Basel-Landschaft) and Christian Wasserfallen (FDP.The Liberals/Bern).
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
