India and Switzerland Strengthen their Ties as Foreign Ministers Engage in Discussions

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to further strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Switzerland. The discussions, which followed the 75th-year celebrations of the India-Switzerland friendship treaty, covered various aspects of cooperation and collaboration. Both leaders exchanged perspectives on regional and international issues, including the conflict in Ukraine.

EAM Jaishankar expressed satisfaction in welcoming Foreign Minister @ignaziocassis of Switzerland and discussed the enhancement of bilateral ties after the 75th-anniversary celebrations of the India-Switzerland friendship treaty. The meeting explored avenues for strengthening existing ties between the two countries. Besides bilateral matters, the leaders exchanged views on key regional and international issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine.

During the discussions, EAM Jaishankar expressed gratitude for a gift from the Swiss Foreign Minister – a ‘Mission to the Sun’ Swatch. He used the opportunity to highlight India’s commitment to space exploration, specifically through the Aditya L1 Mission, emphasizing the nation’s dedication to scientific endeavors.

In a significant achievement, India placed its first dedicated solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, in the Halo orbit last September. The successful launch by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) followed the historic lunar landing mission, Chandrayaan-3.

Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis is on a day-long visit to India, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that he will also travel to China, South Korea, and the Philippines. Cassis initiated his Asia tour with a working visit to New Delhi, marking his return to India since the 70th-anniversary celebration of Swiss-Indian friendship in 2018.