Berset had hoped for a meeting with European Commission President Juncker to discuss an impasse in bilateral negotiations.
Keystone
The Swiss president, Alain Berset, has stressed the importance of the partnership between Europe and Asia as a key factor in strengthening multilateralism around the world.
This content was published on
1 minute
Attending a summit of more than 50 European and Asian leaders in Brussels on Friday, Berset also met representatives of several countries to discuss bilateral and international affairs.
An interior ministry statement highlighted talks between Berset and the prime ministers of Russia, Spain and Thailand as well as government ministers from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
However, there was no formal meeting between Berset and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
Berset told journalists in Brussels that it had not been possible to agree a date to review the situation after negotiations between the EU and Switzerland over a so-called framework accord hit an impasse on Tuesday.
He stressed it was important to exchange opinions at a political level even if the technical negotiations are not over. He reiterated Brussels had never set a formal deadline by mid-October for the four-year negotiations on an accord cementing the bilateral relations.
More
More
Switzerland’s special EU deal
This content was published on
Some Brits believe Switzerland has benefited from the bilateral approach. The Swiss-EU treaties give Switzerland direct access to the best parts of the EU: trade, transport and science projects – plus visa-less travel around Europe. One thing the UK has in common with Switzerland since Brexit is coming to a vote: using direct democracy to…
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Framing the terms for future Swiss-EU relations
This content was published on
What’s it all about? The EU is clear that participating in its single market requires a consistent implementation and interpretation of the market’s continually developing set of rules. Therefore, Brussels expects that the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU will continue to be adapted to any potential legal developments in the future. Since 2014, the…
This content was published on
Some Brits believe Switzerland has benefited from the bilateral approach. The Swiss-EU treaties give Switzerland direct access to the best parts of the EU: trade, transport and science projects – plus visa-less travel around Europe. One thing the UK has in common with Switzerland since Brexit is coming to a vote: using direct democracy to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.