Address by the president of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd at the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps
Bern, 10.01.2024 - Address by the president of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), at the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps, Wednesday, 10 January 2024.
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Your Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio
Federal Councillor
Mr Nussbaumer, President of the National Council
Ms Herzog, President of the Council of States
Your Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mr Nussbaumer, Ms Herzog: I would like to thank you for letting us hold this reception once again in the Parliament Building.
Your Excellency, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, thank you for your words and your wishes for the New Year.
And to all of you, your Excellencies, thank you for being here today and for your work throughout the year.
There is a somewhat mischievous saying in diplomacy: "We don't solve problems. We move them." It's even easier with Swiss presidents: there is a new one each year ... it's magic!
But the maxims of our foreign policy are stable. And one of our maxims is: Switzerland talks with everyone. We seek dialogue on the basis of our values and defend them on the international stage. This means that neutral Switzerland is a party to many issues!
For example, my country rejects the death penalty categorically and in all circumstances. We want a world without capital punishment and are committed to achieving this. Another example is democracy, which we staunchly uphold, even though democratic values are under pressure in many places.
Promoting democracy is one of Switzerland's foreign policy priorities. Even Goethe wondered whether it would not be better for many to trust the many rather than just one individual. And even in his day, the answer was clear... Politics is rarely that simple. And it is often a lot more complicated.
Your Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
Today, more so than ever, we need the confidence and courage to tackle the many complex challenges facing us. In my view, the most important international issues facing Switzerland in the current year are:
- relations with the European Union
- the international security situation and
- the state of multilateralism.
In all of these cases, it is extremely difficult to translate values into concrete policies. Take Switzerland's relations with the European Union. As is well known, our country honours this great peace project and wants to further develop its mutually beneficial partnership with the EU. On the foreign policy stage, Switzerland and the EU pursue very similar goals. But at the same time, we have to work hard to find answers to the many, sometimes very technical questions involved in our bilateral relations. We are now entering a new phase – the negotiations that we hope will enable us to renew our partnership and make it fit for the future. The European Political Community is also of great interest to Switzerland as a new forum for discussion, and is one in which we are actively involved.
The second issue that I would like to talk about, especially in my role as defence minister, is the international security situation. In view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and the many other conflicts taking place in the world, Switzerland’s role as a neutral country is the subject of intense discussion. Security policy must be effective, enjoy broad legitimacy at home, and meet with respect, understanding and acceptance abroad. This is not always easy. I regularly discuss this with my counterparts. Neutrality does not mean indifference; I believe it must go hand-in-hand with playing an active role in international affairs.
Switzerland has shown that it stands in solidarity with Ukraine, and it will do so long term. We support the peace formula and the meeting to be hosted in Davos. In our view, it is also very important that a record is kept of the damage caused by the war and that crimes do not go unpunished. This sends a clear message for the future – far beyond the current war in Europe. As we well know, the world is currently facing a number of conflicts, the war in Gaza being of particular prominence. And unfortunately, there are also a number of humanitarian disasters and crises that are little talked about. When did you last read in the media about the civil war in Sudan, which has been dragging on for nine months? Switzerland has substantially increased its humanitarian aid for refugees in this region.
I now come to my third point, multilateralism. The international order is increasingly subject to a new bloc mentality. For countries like Switzerland, this means having to fight to uphold an efficient and functioning multilateral system under more difficult conditions – this year, Switzerland is doing this as a member of the UN Security Council. The return of power politics jeopardises solutions that have already been found and plans that have already been agreed. At the Summit of the Future to be held in September, all countries will have the opportunity to give multilateralism a new boost. We must take advantage of this!
Your Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
This year we remember that the Geneva Conventions were adopted 75 years ago. They were part of the endeavour to rebuild trust after the Second World War. This anniversary is an opportunity for all states to renew their obligations in today’s world.
Fundamental values are not blueprints! But they are indispensable and more important than ever in today’s turbulent world. In this spirit, I would like to convey to you and the countries you represent best wishes on behalf of the Federal Council and the Swiss people, as well as my personal wishes for peace, security and prosperity.
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