GENEVA, 13 December (BelTA) - Bern played host to a regular round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Switzerland on 12 December, BelTA learned.
Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko attended the consultations on behalf of Belarus. The Swiss delegation was led by Deputy Secretary of State for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Krystyna Marty Lang. The parties considered a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, including the state and prospects for further development of political dialogue, trade and economic, investment, scientific, humanitarian, consular cooperation, cooperation in international organizations, in the areas of human rights protection and emergency management. The parties exchanged views on the development of relations with the European Union and third countries, topical international issues.
The parties welcomed a significant increase in Belarusian-Swiss cooperation in recent years. This, in particular, was reflected in the raising of the status of the Swiss diplomatic mission in Minsk to a full-fledged embassy, exchange of high-level visits. The parties reaffirmed mutual interest to strengthen and expand the trend, further improve the level and increase the number of interstate contacts.
Oleg Kravchenko also met with leading experts of the Center for Security Studies of the Swiss Higher Technical School Zurich and took part in a round table at the Federal Assembly (Parliament) of the Swiss Confederation to discuss Belarus between East and West and mark the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Switzerland-Belarus parliamentary group. The deputy minister of foreign affairs focused on the priorities of Belarus' foreign policy and presented the initiatives of the Belarusian head of state to strengthen international security.