On Wednesday, President Ramchandra Paudel held bilateral talks with Swiss President Viola Amherd at the Federal Palace in Bern.
They discussed the full range of Nepal-Switzerland relations, including development cooperation, high-level exchanges, cultural and people-to-people ties, investment opportunities in agriculture, energy, and sustainable tourism, and climate change efforts.
President Paudel expressed gratitude for Switzerland’s continuous support for Nepal’s development, federalism implementation, and peace process. President Amherd praised Nepal’s progress towards prosperity. The meeting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere.
President Paudel invited President Amherd to visit Nepal at her earliest convenience.
Upon arrival at the Federal Palace, President Paudel was warmly received by President Amherd. The Nepali delegation included Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Dol Prasad Aryal, Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, Secretary of the Office of the President Dilli Ram Sharma, Ambassador Ram Prasad Subedi, and senior officials from the Nepali government and embassy in Geneva.
The Swiss delegation comprised Ambassador Heinrich Schellenberg, Head of the Asia and Pacific Division; Ambassador Simon Pidoux, Head of Presidential Service; and Renato Kalbermatten, Head of Communication.
This marks the first bilateral meeting at the Head of State level between Nepal and Switzerland since 1997.
The delegation left Kathmandu on Tuesday, stopping in Qatar on their way to Geneva. Upon their arrival in Doha, they were greeted by Nepali Ambassador to Qatar, Naresh Bikram Dhakal, and other officials. After a brief layover, they continued to Geneva.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that President Paudel will participate in the inaugural forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, coinciding with the high-level segment of the 112th session of the International Labour Organisation.
On Saturday, the President and his delegation will travel to Berlin, Germany, where he will meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday evening.
