President Parmelin in Japan for high-level talks
Bern, 21.07.2021 - From 22 to 25 July, Swiss president Mr Guy Parmelin will be in Japan, where he will meet Prime Minister Yoshihide and the Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi. At a hybrid event held in Tokyo, the establishment of a new Swiss consulate in Osaka will be announced. On Friday 23 July, Mr Parmelin will attend the opening of the Olympic Games, prior to which a reception with Emperor Naruhito is scheduled. The programme also includes a meeting with IOC president Thomas Bach on Saturday.
Japan is a priority country in Switzerland's foreign policy strategy. The high-level talks will focus on the close trade and research relations between the two countries and on global issues such as combating the pandemic.
Despite the geographical distance, the Swiss and Japanese economies have long enjoyed close links. Mutual investment is considerable, and some Swiss companies have been present in Japan for over a hundred years. The two countries have had a free trade agreement since 2009, and Japan is Switzerland’s second largest trading partner in Asia. It is also a priority country in Switzerland's bilateral research cooperation.
The opening of a new consulate in Osaka marks a further expansion of swissnex, the Swiss network for education, research and innovation. The additional swissnex main location in the dynamic Kansai region, where Switzerland will take part in the OSAKA 2025 World Exhibition in four years’ time, is scheduled to be up and running in the first half of 2022.
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