German president begins state visit to Switzerland

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has begun a two-day state visit to Switzerland on Wednesday, which includes military honours in Bern and talks on bilateral relations and Europe. Germany is Switzerland’s most important trading partner.

This is the first state visit to Switzerland by a German president since 2010. During his two days, Steinmeier will hold talks with the Federal Council (executive body), focusing on “bilateral relations, cooperation between the two countries in an international context and European policy”, according to a Swiss government statement.

Ahead of his trip, the German president was full of praise for the small alpine nation, which he has frequently visited especially for walks in the Alps.

He told Swiss public radio, SRF on Tuesday: “When I look at Switzerland, I look at a country that is a world leader in business and science… Germany is a friendly country. We are not just good neighbours. We have common interests on which we will continue to work together.”

Steinmeier, who became German president in February 2017, said he hoped the Swiss do not view the European Union as an enemy. He added that he was hopeful for progress in EU-Swiss talks on a framework agreement.

“I am sure that if such a framework agreement is reached, it will be a win-win situation for both parties, and that is why I would like to see progress,” the 62-year-old centre-left Social Democrat declared.

Switzerland is not a member of the EU; economic and other relationships are governed by more than 120 bilateral deals agreed over decades. Brussels wants Switzerland to reorganise its EU relationships around aninstitutional framework agreement.The institutional framework issue has been dragging on for years and politicians and the seven-member Federal Council appear divided over European policy.

Trading partner

Germany is Switzerland’s most important trade partner, both in terms of imports and exports. In 2015, German companies employed around 121,000 people in Switzerland, more than any other country. Swiss companies employ around 425,000 people in Germany (second place behind the Netherlands); in 2016 there were around 62,000 cross-border workers from Germany. At the end of 2017, 300,000 German nationals were living in Switzerland and 88,000 Swiss nationals were living in Germany.

During his visit, Steinmeier will be accompanied by his wife Elke Büdenbender. After Bern, he is set to visit Fribourg University, where he and Swiss President Alain Berset will take part in a discussion on the challenges and prospects for democracy in the 21st century.

In Fribourg, he will also visit the ‘NeighborHub’ solar-powered modular community centre building which won the top prize at the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon event last year.

Before his return flight to Germany on Thursday, Steinmeier will take a helicopter flight over the Aletsch Glacier in canton Valais to learn more about the impact of climate change. He also plans to visit the grave of the writer Thomas Mann at the Kilchberg cemetery near Zurich.