Swiss foreign minister continues tour ‘down under’ to consolidate ties
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday
Keystone / Lukas Coch
Ignazio Cassis met his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, in Canberra on Monday as part of diplomatic efforts to consolidate ties between the two nations.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
The Swiss foreign minister is currently in New Zealand on the last leg of his week-long Asia-Pacific trip.
Mutual understanding between Australia and Switzerland was “good”, said Cassis at a press event on Monday. No new formal agreements were announced.
Switzerland is seeking to strengthen its influence in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is “necessary” to reinforce ties with like-minded states, including Australia, in an “increasingly polarised” world, said Cassis. “We are a country that counts and that assumes its responsibilities by cooperating with the various players,” he added.
The two foreign ministers also discussed the climate crisis. Australia is keen to organise the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), after Switzerland withdrew its bid last year.
The last visit to Australia and New Zealand by a Swiss cabinet minister was ten years ago. Relations have warmed since then, with Canberra opening an embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, last year.
Australia, the world’s 12th-largest economy, is an important business partner for the Alpine country. Bilateral trade reached CHF3.7 billion ($3.9 billion) in 2021. According to Australian statistics, Switzerland is the 11th-largest investor in Australia. Over 250 Swiss companies in Australia had invested CHF10.1 billion in the country up to the end of 2020.
Switzerland exports watches, pharmaceuticals and precision technology to Australia, whereas Australia exports gold, medicines, meat and silver to Switzerland.
Ignazio Cassis is currently in New Zealand, the last stop on his diplomatic trip, where he is due to meet New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, and his counterpart from Niue, a Pacific island affiliated to Wellington, Mona Ainu’u.
In a speech given on Tuesday to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and New Zealand, Cassis stressed the similarities between the two countries.
“Besides the beautiful nature that we both want to protect, we are like-minded partners in terms of democracy, our stance on multilateralism and a rules-based international order,” he commented.
For the first part of his Asia-Pacific tour, Cassis visited Singapore and Indonesia. Both countries are at the centre of the Federal Council’s new South East Asia Strategy 2023–26, which envisages consolidating and deepening ties with the world’s fastest growing region.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
Swiss film industry reports successful year in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss films did well in cinemas in 2024, recording over 907,000 admissions, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports. They accounted for almost 9% of all films shown last year in Switzerland.
Glencore and Rio Tinto held talks on mining’s biggest-ever potential merger, say reports
This content was published on
The Swiss-based mining and commodities group Glencore and the British company Rio Tinto reportedly held early-stage talks last year about combining their businesses.
First municipalities begin Swiss-wide plastic packaging recycling scheme
This content was published on
A new collection system to recycle plastic packaging and drinks cartons has begun in a handful of Swiss municipalities - others should follow in the coming weeks.
This content was published on
Despite an ongoing restructuring programme, Swiss retail giant Migros continued to grow last year by 1.6%, posting record sales of CHF32.5 billion ($35.7 billion).
Swiss researchers warn ‘mega-droughts’ are spreading around the world
This content was published on
"Mega-droughts" are increasing worldwide - becoming more frequent, hotter and more widespread over the past 40 years, a study published on Thursday shows.
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.