During his visit to Switzerland, Admiral Rob Bauer will meet with Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the DDPS, to discuss developments in the security situation and ways to intensify security cooperation.

Lieutenant General Thomas Süssli and Admiral Rob Bauer will discuss the war in Ukraine and its consequences for Europe and NATO. They will also discuss the implementation of military cooperation targets that are part of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) between Switzerland and NATO. This will help put into concrete terms the Federal Council’s intention to strengthen international cooperation in the field of security policy. A visit to the Spiez Laboratory, a division of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), is also planned.

Strengthening defence capability through cooperation

In its Supplementary Report to the 2021 Security Policy Report, the Federal Council declared its intention to strengthen international cooperation with partner organisations, in particular with NATO and its member states, in a way that is compatible with neutrality. Contributing to security in Europe and improving cooperation strengthens the Armed Forces’ defence capability, which in turn enhances Switzerland’s security. Since 1996, Switzerland has participated in the PfP programme with NATO in order to improve interoperability, in particular between air forces and communication systems. There are also plans to increase Swiss participation in NATO centres of excellence and post staff officers to NATO facilities. The Swiss Armed Forces offer numerous courses and training programmes with international participation and make their simulators available.

Military peace support – one of the three mandates of the Swiss Armed Forces – will also be discussed. Since 1999, Switzerland has been contributing to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) through Swisscoy. Switzerland’s mandate runs until the end of 2026.

Chair of the NATO Military Committee on official visit to Switzerland