A useful and concrete friendship (en)

Bern, 24.04.2014 - Belgrad, 24.04.2014 - Rede von Bundespräsident Didier Burkhalter anlässlich der Einweihung der Handelskammer Schweiz-Serbien - Es gilt das gesprochene Wort

Dear incoming Prime Minister,
Dear Mr. President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce,
Dear founding members of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Today is a special day in relations between Serbia and Switzerland. It is a day when a new avenue has opened up to further strengthen our ties and make them even more productive.

The creation of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce sends out a strong message and stands for our useful and concrete friendship. It indicates that Switzerland and Swiss companies will support Serbia in achieving ambitious objectives for the months and years ahead.

Swiss companies have invested over CHF 0.5 billion in Serbia since 2004, and the trend is positive. The decision of Swiss companies to establish a Chamber of Commerce reflects their trust in the future of Serbia and in the future of Swiss-Serbian ties. It also illustrates their confidence that the long overdue structural reforms will take place.

The government of Switzerland, for its part, since 1991 has invested over CHF 300 million in Serbia through its cooperation programme. We have decided to increase our support by 20%, bringing it up to a total of CHF 75 million over the next four years, with a focus on good governance, economic development and energy. Switzerland is fully committed to backing Serbia on its European course.

Switzerland and Serbia share much. Many Serbian citizens have contributed to Switzerland’s success in the fields of the arts, the economy and science. Mileva Marić, for example, married Albert Einstein and was one of the first women ever to study physics and mathematics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. She stands for the thousands of Serbians who have come to Switzerland and contributed to its social and economic development.

But Serbs, like the Swiss, no matter where they are, remain closely attached to their home country. It is very encouraging to see that Serbs from the diaspora are now taking a greater interest in making productive investments in Serbia. I hope that many Serbs from Switzerland will also take this opportunity to invest in Serbia.

The creation of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce reflects the growing ties between our two countries and our two peoples. It is also evidence of our joint determination to promote trade, investment and jobs.

For any country, it is particularly important to create jobs for young people. I consider it a key task of politicians to provide good prospects for the generations that will come after us, and I firmly believe that the business sector must play an essential role in this. Therefore the new Swiss cooperation strategy 2014-2017 will focus especially on job creation for young people and for women.

May this Chamber of Commerce create many opportunities – for our countries, for our people, and especially for our younger generation.

I wish to thank everyone involved for opening this new dimension in our relations. You can rest assured that Switzerland will continue to give its full support to your endeavours, in the spirit of our ever closer partnership – a very useful and concrete friendship.


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Herausgeber

Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
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