“The first two foreign policy goals are independence and prosperity according to our constitution. And who else but the business ensures prosperity,” Cassis told public radio SRF.
Observers say the statement appears to pre-empt criticism of a planned policy shift.
Cassis who has been foreign minister since 2017 has been criticised for some of his policy statements, notably over Swiss development aid.
Switzerland’s future foreign policy should become more targeted, more interconnected and less reactive, according to a report commissioned by the foreign ministry.
The paper is to serve as basis for the government’s foreign policy strategy for the next four years.
Presenting the findings to the public on Tuesday, Cassis also said his ministry was willing to examine a request by the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross to store data safely in Switzerland.
The document analyses the challenges and proposes options to consolidate Switzerland’s position in an increasingly unstable world, according to a government statementExternal link.
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The Swiss foreign minister says human rights and democracy remain at the heart of Switzerland’s agenda, as the UN human rights declaration turns 70.
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The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
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None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
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Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
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It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
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The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
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Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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Swiss aid ‘too focused on stopping migration’
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Swiss development aid should concentrate more on the needs of its partner countries and less on stopping migration, says the OECD.
Swiss foreign minister defends controversial Palestinian comments
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“This allows the Swiss people to ask themselves what our country is doing and perhaps come to the conclusion that it is the best way forward at the moment,” he told Swiss public radio RTS. In a newspaper interview earlier this month, Cassis said the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency UNRWA has become part…
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The Swiss government has reduced by CH30 million ($30.2 million) its financial contribution to UN agencies over the next three years.
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As part of his five-day trip to Africa, Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis visited a copper mine. Now he faces criticism.
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Multilateralism is in crisis, but remains important for Switzerland, foreign minister Ignazio Cassis has told the press in New York.
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