State Secretary Alexandre Fasel concludes tour of South East Asia
Bern, 26.07.2024 - The visit, which lasted from 22 to 26 July, saw Mr Fasel meet with a number of counterparts and high-level representatives of countries in the region, including Singapore, Vietnam and Laos. It also aimed to strengthen Switzerland’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The trip is part of the implementation of the Federal Council's South East Asia Strategy, which seeks to further consolidate Switzerland's relations with this key economic region. On Friday 26 July State Secretary Fasel took part in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, which representatives of partner countries were invited to attend. On this occasion, Mr Fasel also met with high-level government representatives from Asia, Europe and North America. At a bilateral meeting, Mr Fasel also met with the Laotian foreign minister, Saleumxay Kommasith. Laos is chairing ASEAN until the end of 2024.
ASEAN is Switzerland's most important partner organisation in South East Asia. Since 2016, Switzerland has worked with ASEAN as part of a sectoral dialogue partnership in areas such as human security, vocational education and training, disaster risk reduction, sustainable forestry, and climate change. In 2022 this cooperation expanded to the fields of digitalisation, private sector engagement (for example in sustainable trade) and humanitarian demining. In recent years, annual trade between Switzerland and the ASEAN nations has regularly exceeded CHF 25 billion. Swiss companies have invested almost CHF 80 billion in ASEAN countries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Bilateral agreement on air transport services signed in Laos
On the morning of Friday 26 July in Vientiane, Mr Fasel signed a bilateral agreement on scheduled air services with the Laotian minister of public works and transport. The agreement, which had been approved by the Federal Council at its meeting of 22 November 2023, will ensure the air carriers concerned have the operational flexibility required on routes between Switzerland and Laos. In particular, it allows the two countries to designate as many companies as they wish to operate such routes, as well as authorising code-share flights. The parties confirmed that the designated companies would be granted the right to operate direct flights without frequency limitations, a development that will benefit both their economies in the future.
Visits to Vietnam and Singapore
On 24 and 25 July Mr Fasel visited Hanoi, Vietnam, where he held bilateral meetings with deputy foreign minister, Mr Nguyen Minh Vu, and deputy minister of industry and trade, Mr Nguyen Hoang Long. They discussed economic relations, the development of bilateral relations in a wide range of areas, and negotiations for a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Mr Fasel's visit to Hanoi coincided with the funeral of general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party and senior Vietnamese government official Nguyen Phu Trong, who died on 19 July. State Secretary Fasel was thus able to express Switzerland's condolences in person.
The tour of South East Asia also included a first stop in Singapore on 23 July, where Mr Fasel attended meetings focusing on science, digitalisation and regional issues. Singapore, a city-state at the heart of South East Asia and a beacon of economic growth, science and innovation for the entire region, is not only a key player in Asia, but also an important partner for Switzerland. Singapore is Switzerland's foremost trading partner in the region, with annual bilateral trade totalling around CHF 11.2 billion in 2023. No other Asian country attracts as much Swiss direct investment as the city-state. Singapore is also a partner in Switzerland's science diplomacy, and has strong links with the country's financial centre. On the evening of 23 July, Mr Fasel officially inaugurated the new Swiss embassy, a modern, functional and sustainable building that perfectly reflects bilateral relations between Switzerland and Singapore.
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