The Colombian president (picture) visited the WEF meeting in the Swiss Alps earlier this year but his Swiss counterpart had to cancel a trip to Bogotà at short notice.
Keystone / Carlos Ortega
President Alain Berset has cancelled a planned visit to Colombia in the wake of a government-backed merger of Switzerland's main banks.
The interior ministry said the trip had been called off as Berset’s schedule had “undergone some changes” for the current week.
Berset, who holds the Swiss presidency this year, was due to begin the visit on Monday.
The Swiss government helped arrange the takeover of the Credit Suisse bank – Switzerland’s second largest bank – amid turmoil on the financial markets over the past week.
In a newspaper interview last December, Berset said he was interested in getting first-hand information about the peace process in Colombia, notably efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones.
Security Council
Switzerland plans to highlight the peace process during its membership of the United Nations Security Council in 2023 and 2024.
The Swiss government has supported the ongoing peace process between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army. Ten days ago, the Marxist-Leninist rebel movement and the Colombian government committed themselves to ceasefire talks.
Earlier this year, Berset travelled to Botswana and Mozambique for talks, including cooperation in the Security Council.
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