“Switzerland is among Italy’s top trade partners, with exchanges worth approximately 30 billion euros, in addition to cooperating in key areas including the energy, finance and transport sectors and a very significant volume of reciprocal direct investments. These are the happy notes of excellence that configure the positive framework of our deep friendship, partnership and good neighbour relations. Minister Ignazio Cassis’s decision to make his first visit as Federal Councillor abroad precisely in Italy is a clear recognition of the fruitfulness and excellence of Italian-Swiss relations in every sector of activity.
Our Countries share a common heritage of history and traditions which also has Italian roots and the Italian community in Switzerland is also very relevant, as is its contribution to the growth of the Country. Within this context, the support and promotion of the Italian language in Switzerland is a priority for us and we are grateful to Swiss Authorities for the measures passed to protect Italian within Switzerland’s traditional policy of quadrilingualism.
Allow me to also reaffirm our great appreciation and full recognition of Switzerland for its commitment towards the implementation of the EU relocation programme by voluntarily participating in the initiative.”
This was the statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, at the end of his meeting with his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis. During the talks, in addition to bilateral relations and border-related issues, focus was also placed on the Swiss-EU relations, migrations and the Italian Presidency of the OSCE.