Swiss Federal Councillor to travel to Tehran next week
According to the Swiss Embassy official twitter account, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis will travel to Tehran next week to commemorate the anniversary of Switzerland's diplomatic presence in Iran.
Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will make an official visit to Iran from 5 to 7 September 2020 as part of the celebrations marking 100 years of Switzerland's diplomatic presence in Tehran, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs communication department reported.
According to the FDFA website," Ignazio Cassis will meet, among other Iranian leaders, President Hassan Rouhani and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif. Discussions will focus on bilateral relations and Switzerland's protecting power mandates."
On 6 September, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will open an exhibition at the historic Negarestan Garden in Tehran on the history of Swiss-Iranian bilateral relations.
Cassis will also visit the Swiss embassy foreign interests section, which represents the interests of the United States in Iran under a protecting power mandate. Finally, Mr Cassis will meet with representatives of Swiss companies, the scientific community and the health sector, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs communication department elaborated on Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis agenda's on Tehran.
On 7 September, Mr Cassis will meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani. In addition to bilateral issues such as human rights and the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement, a financing channel to facilitate the export of humanitarian goods to Iran, Mr Cassis and his Iranian hosts will also discuss current developments concerning the nuclear deal and the situation in the Middle East.
Federal Councillor Cassis will be accompanied by Swiss Green Liberal Party National Councillor Tiana Angelina Moser, President of the National Council Foreign Affairs Committee, and Thomas Minder, member of the Council of States and President of the Council of States Security Policy Committee.
They will pay a courtesy visit to the new speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
In 2016, Switzerland and Iran agreed on a roadmap to extend and provide a firmer structure to their long-standing relations.
Since 1980, Switzerland has represented US interests in Iran.
In 2017, Switzerland assumed protecting power mandates for Iran in Saudi Arabia and for Saudi Arabia in Iran. Since 2019 it has also represented Iran's interests in Canada.
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