Bern, 22 September 2023
In Bern, the capital of Switzerland, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was welcomed in a bilateral meeting by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset.
Interstate relations, proximity between peoples, bilateral cooperation, trade exchanges and recent developments were the central topics of this meeting.
Switzerland is the second country in terms of direct investments in Kosovo. Last year they had increased by 1/3, while commercial exchanges have also shown a positive trend, especially in the Information Technology sector.
Prime Minister Kurti expressed his deep gratitude for Switzerland’s support at every stage of resistance, liberation, independence, state building and development, as one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo. Even today, it continues to support the state of Kosovo, including in the international arena, as was proven with the support for Kosovo’s application for membership in the Council of Europe. He also thanked Switzerland for its role in the field of defense and security, through the mission of Swisscoy, within the framework of KFOR, whose mandate has recently been extended until 2026.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Kurti informed President Berset about the latest developments in the country, the relations with Serbia and the dialogue process, about the results of the government so far, the priority policies and about the progress made in the economic, democratic and fight against corruption, as it has also been evidenced by credible international reports for two consecutive years. Among the development policies in which the Swiss state has played an important positive role, Prime Minister Kurti singled out that of dual education, which this academic year will be expanded to a total of 12 different profiles, in 13 municipalities and 21 vocational schools and through which aims to make the connection between professional education and the labor market.
Both spoke about opportunities in areas with potential for deeper cooperation and for new agreements that add to it, in particular within EFTA.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Kurti was accompanied by the Ambassador of Kosovo to Switzerland, Sami Ukelli and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku.
Last modified: September 25, 2023