FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel holds political consultations with Brazil
Bern, 15.10.2024 - Alexandre Fasel, the state secretary of the FDFA, met with the deputy foreign minister of Brazil, Maria Laura da Rocha, in Brasilia. The political consultations centred on bilateral relations, issues relating to economic and security policy, respect for human rights and cooperation to protect the environment.
Since 2008, Switzerland and Brazil have held annual political consultations to discuss bilateral and multilateral matters of the day. At the 11th edition of these consultations on 15 October 2024, Mr Fasel and Ms Da Rocha highlighted the close relations between their two countries, which are put into effect through nine regular dialogues in areas ranging from business, science, and research to human rights.
Brazil is Switzerland's biggest trading partner in Latin America, with a total volume of approximately CHF 4.4 billion in 2023. This corresponds to around a quarter of Switzerland's total trade with all Latin American countries. Economic issues were thus at the centre of the discussions in Brasilia. In addition to the intensification of bilateral trade and investment, a particular focus was placed on the negotiations between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, and Mercosur, a single market of around 270 million inhabitants comprising the four South American states of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The negotiations between EFTA and Mercosur were largely concluded in 2019 and are now in the final phase. Mr Fasel and Ms Da Rocha expressed their hope that the free trade agreement can be signed soon.
The political consultations also involved a discussion on various crises and conflicts, including regional security in general and in particular the situation in Venezuela, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Both interlocutors underscored the importance of contributing to peace and security through dialogue and mediation. In this context, Mr Fasel emphasised that in Switzerland's view all initiatives for peace in Ukraine that are based on international law and the UN Charter should be considered. He also informed Ms Da Rocha about Switzerland's work during its term on the UN Security Council, which will come to an end in December 2024.
Measures to boost cooperation to protect the environment and promote sustainability were also on the agenda of the Brasilia meeting. Switzerland supports several initiatives to protect the Amazon rainforest and in areas such as decarbonisation, sustainable infrastructure and cleantech in Brazil. These projects are coordinated as part of the run-up to the COP 30 climate conference ('the Road to Belém'), which will take place in Belém in 2025 – the gateway city to the Amazon.
During his visit to Brazil, Mr Fasel also held talks with representatives from the political and scientific communities in Brasilia and São Paulo. In Brasilia, he also took part in an event to mark 75 years of the Geneva Conventions and Switzerland's presidency of the UN Security Council in October 2024.
Brazil is a priority country in the Federal Council's Americas Strategy 2022–25: since 2023, seven meetings have taken place between members of the Federal Council and their Brazilian counterparts, and two at presidential level.
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