President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis signs agreement in Malta on the implementation of the second Swiss contribution

During an official visit to Malta, President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis met on Friday 18 November 2022 with Foreign Minister Ian Borg. Their talks focused on bilateral relations, Switzerland's and Malta's non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council, and cooperation in the digital domain. Mr Cassis also signed the agreement with Malta on the implementation of the second Swiss contribution.

"The agreement on the implementation of the second Swiss contribution is an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations between Switzerland and Malta," said Cassis at the signing ceremony with Malta's Foreign Minister Ian Borg. This agreement is part of Switzerland's second contribution to selected EU member states. It sets out the thematic priorities for collaboration and provides for the funding of projects totalling CHF 3.56 million until 2029. Swiss-Maltese collaboration will mainly focus on cardiovascular health.

Relations between Switzerland and the EU were also on the agenda. Mr Cassis emphasised that Switzerland is currently engaged in in-depth exploratory talks with the EU, and that the Federal Council's primary goal is to stabilise and further develop the bilateral approach with the EU.

Switzerland and Malta in the UN Security Council

Mr Cassis and Mr Borg also discussed their countries' term on the UN Security Council. Like Switzerland, Malta will have a non-permanent seat on the Council for the period 2023-24. This makes Malta a key partner in Switzerland's commitment to peace and security. The two countries are cooperating on efforts to counter the impact of climate change as a driver of conflict and promote the role of women as actors for peace.