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In an official visit to Switzerland, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev said that the Swiss should participate
in international debate about the economic crisis
despite not being included in the Group of Twenty
(G-20).
Switzerland “is a constructive partner for all to create
security and stability, trust and cooperation” he said.
The official visit to Switzerland by a Russian president
is the first in the history of bilateral relations of
both countries.
“Today we speak of the efforts undertaken by the G-20
and we concluded that Switzerland should participate
actively in international discussions on the crisis and
the design of a new financial architecture”, Medvedev
said at the conclusion of his discussions with the Swiss
president, Hans-Rudolf Merz.
Historical Ties
There are strong artistic ties between the two
countries. Two of Russia’s greatest writers lived in
Switzerland. Dostoevsky travelled throughout
Switzerland in the 1860’s, spending time in Basel and
Geneva (where he lived for a short while) and Vladimir
Nabokov lived in Montreux from 1961 until his death in
Lausanne in 1977.
The Russian president wishes to extend these cultural
links, the two countries signing agreements related to
visa regulations for diplomats and also regarding the
repatriation of failed asylum seekers.
A necessary presence of Switzerland in the G-20
Medvedev insisted on the important role Switzerland
plays in the international debate and also “for future
financial architecture”. The G20 comprises the G-8
countries (USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, UK, Italy,
France and Russia), and Saudi Arabia, Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, China, Korea South India, Indonesia,
Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. The European Union
functions as a country in these meetings. The G-20
countries represent 80% of world trade and almost 60% of
the population of the planet.
Intergovernmental Commission
“In October, an intergovernmental commission will meet
to discuss six Russia-Switzerland documents concerning
cooperation in science, technology, intellectual
property and other areas”, Medvedev said at the end of
the talks he held with his Swiss counterpart,
Hans-Rudolf Merz.
The parties agreed to improve the legal underpinnings of
the bilateral relations. According to the Russian
leader, Russia and Switzerland have significant
potential to develop their relations.
Trade Relations
Also meeting were representatives of the business
community of both countries to discuss ways of promoting
trade and economic relations and investment. Following
talks at the highest level, several intergovernmental
documents were signed including an agreement to
facilitate the issuing of visas to citizens of both
countries.
Fall of bilateral trade
In 2007, trade between Russia and Switzerland totalled
$15.3 billion, according to the Federal Customs Service
of Russia. However, bilateral trade last year fell by
20.1% to 12.2 billion dollars as a result of the global
crisis. In the first half of 2009, trade between the two
countries experienced a drop of 41.2% over the same
period last year.
Human Rights, Animal Rights
It is noted that various Human Rights organizations used
this occasion to protest against the systematic
violations of fundamental rights in Russia. The gifts
which Medvedev brought to Switzerland were two bears to
live in the compound near the main government buildings
in Bern.
One of the most security tight visits from any head of
state, the president of Russia was accompanied by the
Foreign Ministers of Economic Development and Elvira
Nabiúlina Sergei Lavrov, the chief of General Staff of
Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov, as well as his
wife,
Svetlana Medvedev.
Swisslatin / Stephen Hinch
(22.09.2009) |
