As every year, the Federal Council actively participates in the World Economic Forum in Davos, the 2025 edition of which takes place from January 20 to 24. This Friday, it announced the official presence of six of its members. The only one for whom no meeting has been announced is Minister Albert Rösti.
The President of the Confederation and Head of Finance, Karin Keller-Sutter, plans to meet heads of state and government. It will focus on Switzerland’s relations with European countries, the EU and the G20 countries. The discussions will mainly focus on the tense geopolitical situation and international economic and financial news. Furthermore, she will celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China with Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang.
The Vice-President of the Federal Council and head of the Federal Department of the Economy, Guy Parmelin, has a program as long as his arm. It will take advantage of the WEF to sign free trade agreements with Thailand and Kosovo. He will then meet Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to sign a “Memorandum of Understanding” on the participation of Swiss companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
The Vaudois then has a long list of meetings: the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, accompanied by his Deputy Prime Minister Dumitru Alaiba, then ministers like Gan Kim Yong (Singapore), Jonathan Reynolds (United Kingdom), Rosan Perkasa Roeslani (Indonesia), Ryad Mezzour and Karim Zidane (Morocco) and Majid Alkassabi (Saudi Arabia).
-Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will focus during his bilateral meetings on European policy as well as the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The resigning minister Viola Amherd, head of the army, will discuss with other defense ministers the security situation in Europe following these two conflicts.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, head of the Federal Department of the Interior, will focus on two themes at the WEF: the importance of digital innovation for the healthcare system and the role of reliable data sources in combating disinformation. Finally, Beat Jans, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, will discuss security, migration and the rule of law bilaterally, in particular with the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Nafti or the President of Europol, Catherine De Bolle.
Related News :