Celebrating anniversaries of bilateral relations: President Amherd to visit Mongolia and Japan in early August
Bern, 29.07.2024 - President Viola Amherd will travel to Mongolia and Japan in early August with the aim of further strengthening Switzerland’s relations with these democratic East Asian nations. The two visits will provide an opportunity to celebrate long-standing relations: Switzerland has maintained bilateral relations with Mongolia for 60 years and with Japan for 160 years.
President Amherd will meet President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar on Friday, 2 August. This will be the first visit to Mongolia by a Swiss president. In view of 20 years of successful engagement in the country by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the closure of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Ulaanbaatar, the visit will focus in particular on the future shape of bilateral relations. International topics will include security issues and commitment to the multilateral order. The programme in Mongolia until Sunday includes a visit to a photo exhibition celebrating bilateral relations and to an SDC project dedicated to the responsible production of cashmere and yak wool.
In Japan, Ms Amherd will meet with regional officials on Monday in Shinagawa, one of Tokyo’s city wards, which is twinned with Geneva. Talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara are scheduled for Wednesday, 7 August. The discussions will start with an appreciation of the long-standing relations between Switzerland and Japan and their further development. Other items on the agenda include prospects in East Asia and the security situation in Europe. Ms Amherd is expected to meet Emperor Naruhito on Thursday. Switzerland and Japan enjoy excellent relations based on shared values, the promotion of innovative and competitive framework conditions and a commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based world order. Japan is Switzerland's third most important trading partner in Asia after China and India, with an annual trade volume of around CHF 14 billion. Japan is also an important country for Switzerland’s bilateral research cooperation.
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