Switzerland and Romania enjoy excellent bilateral relations and wide-ranging political, economic and cultural exchanges. Romania is Switzerland's most important trading partner in south-eastern Europe. In 2023, trade between the two countries reached a volume of 2.7 billion francs.
During his visit, Mr Cassis will meet in particular with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu, Finance Minister Tánczos Barna and the Minister of Education, Research and Innovation Daniel David. The agenda includes the cooperation agreements for Switzerland's second contribution in favour of selected EU states, from which a total of CHF 221.5 million has been allocated to Romania. This second contribution to European cohesion provides for the continuation of Switzerland's commitment in Romania, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency, research and innovation, dual training, public safety and civil society.
Mr Cassis will sign several cooperation agreements in the fields of energy efficiency, dual vocational education and training, public safety, and health.
Talks will also address relations between the EU and Romania, the EU and Switzerland, and the conflict in Ukraine, that shares a border with Romania. Support for Ukraine's recovery process will also be discussed.Cultural evening to mark Emna rumantscha and stopover in Constanța
Switzerland and Romania are also united in their multicultural and multilingual way of life, and share two common languages: German and Italian. To celebrate the plurality and minorities of both countries, Mr Cassis, accompanied by State Councillor Jon Domenic Parolini, will join in a cultural event in Bucharest co-organised by the Swiss embassy in Romania and the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum as part of the fifth Romansh Language Week (Emna rumantscha). The initiative, which was launched by the head of the FDFA, "is an opportunity to share with other countries the daily experience of living among a wide diversity of cultures and opinions. Plurality is a resource that nurtures dialogue, which is more important than ever in the current difficult geopolitical context," he explains.
Mr Cassis will then travel to Constanța, Romania's fourth largest city. Located in eastern Romania, on the western shores of the Black Sea, it is home to the region's main port and several ethnic and linguistic minorities.Here, Mr Cassis will take part in a debate on the importance of minority languages for regional development.
Emna rumantscha in brief
The Romansh Language Week (Emna Rumantscha), which is celebrating its 5th edition in 2025, was launched by Mr Cassis in Zuoz in 2019 to mark the Lia Rumantscha's 100th anniversary. The event, organised by the FDFA together with the canton of Graubünden and the Lia Rumantscha, always takes place in the week of 20 February, the day in 1938 when Romansh officially became Switzerland's fourth national language.
The aim is to highlight the importance of multilingualism not only for national cohesion, but also for Swiss foreign policy. Plurality is in fact a characteristic of Switzerland that is appreciated all over the worldPromoting minority languages, and through them cultural minorities, is essential to building a sustainable society that is open to dialogue.
Further information:
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Romania
Communicaziun a las medias (rm)(pdf, 167kb)
Address for enquiries:
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
