Swiss President Alain Berset greets Petros Mavromichalis, ambassador to the EU on January 11, 2023, in Bern.
Keystone / Peter Schneider
The Swiss government could make a decision on the negotiating mandate in the European Union dossier next Friday.
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Petros Mavromichalis, the EU ambassador to Switzerland, expressed his optimism in an interview with the newspaper Le Temps on Sunday evening.
“The risks of failure are lower this time”, said Mavromichalis in the online edition of the French-speaking Swiss daily.
He added that the EU and Switzerland had come closer on the outstanding issues. The most sensitive issues from a Swiss perspective, such as wage protection, workers’ rights and state aid, had been clarified in the exploratory talks. But: “We do not yet have a draft agreement,” the EU ambassador continued.
Mavromichalis, who will leave his post in nine months’ time, went on to say that it would be feasible to conclude an agreement in the time remaining “if we start negotiations in March as planned. But we will have to show political will and determination”.
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