Flurry of meetings mark Swiss ministers’ WEF presence
Four members of the Swiss government attended the opening of the House of Switzerland centre at this year's WEF meeting in Davos.
Keystone
Swiss government ministers have held a series of bilateral meetings on the first day of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.
Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said he discussed plans with his counterpart from Saudi Arabia, Mohammed al-Jadaan, to boost financial relations with the Arab kingdom. Maurer told a news conference that the case of the killed Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi had not been mentioned in the talks.
Maurer also met his counterparts from Israel and New Zealand on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis held separate talks with the Georgian prime minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze, and with the foreign minister of Ethiopia, Workneh Gebeyehu. The meetings focused on asylum issues and foreign investment respectively.
For their part, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Interior Minister Alain Berset had meetings with government ministers from Chile, Egypt and South Africa.
Tuesday saw the opening of a new meeting centre, the House of SwitzerlandExternal link, for Swiss government representatives and business leaders.
The House of Switzerland in the centre of Davos will host four official events over the next few days.
More
More
WEF in 60 seconds: Day 1
This content was published on
Jessica Davis Plüss and Dominique Soguel-dit-Picard are reporting from Davos on the big issues and mood at the WEF 2019 annual meeting.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
This content was published on
Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit.
Study shows proliferation of non-native plants is driver of insect invasions
This content was published on
A global study has revealed that insect invasions are being driven by the proliferation of non-native plants. This can can massively disrupt ecological processes, often leading to serious economic impacts.
Swiss set record for world’s longest hyperloop test
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have established a record for the longest-ever hyperloop journey at a facility in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.
Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
This content was published on
Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.
Swiss court rejects special assistance for student with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an application for special assistance from a student with disabilities at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
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
President praises Swiss values at WEF
This content was published on
“We reject diktats. The most commonly used word in our constitution is ‘freedom’ and we are proud of that,” said Maurer during his opening address in DavosExternal link on Tuesday morning. “We are free to accept responsibility for ourselves and others,” he explained. Maurer, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency alongside his role as the…
Swiss firms attend Saudi forum despite Khashoggi death
This content was published on
Few CEOs, but big Swiss businesses are still very present at Saudi Arabia’s controversial Future Investment Initiative summit this week.
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry has summoned the deputy ambassador of the Saudi Arabian embassy over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
This content was published on
Making it on the participants list at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting is no easy feat. Who made the cut this year?
WEF 2019: Where global interdependence goes from here
This content was published on
Global cooperation in an era of technological disruption will top this year's World Economic Forum agenda. What does it mean for Swiss companies?
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.