Bilateral relations Switzerland – Czech Republic

Switzerland and the Czech Republic maintain close diplomatic relations and high-level contacts. During the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2022, diplomatic relations intensified considerably thanks to numerous high-level meetings before and during the six-month presidency.

President Ignazio Cassis paid an official visit at the invitation of President Zeman, which took place in May 2022. In October, President Cassis travelled to Prague for a second time to take part in the first intergovernmental forum of the European Political Community (EPC).

Thanks to the second Swiss contribution, cooperation between the two countries is expanding and exploring new horizons, particularly in the areas of sustainable tourism and the promotion of biodiversity, research infrastructure, migration and health (homecare). Cultural relations between Switzerland and the Czech Republic are intensive and diverse.

Treaty database

The Czech Republic is an important trading partner for Switzerland: foreign trade between Switzerland and the Czech Republic has developed positively in recent years. In 2023, Switzerland was the 14th largest recipient of Czech products. In terms of the total volume of direct investments by Swiss companies, Switzerland is the eighth largest investor in the Czech Republic. If the inflows between 2016 and 2022 are summarised, Switzerland is actually the fourth most important foreign investor in the last 6 years.

The trading volume in 2023 totalled around 5.2 billion Swiss Franks. Around 140 Swiss companies operate in the Czech Republic, employing around 30,000 people.

Trade promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise

Swiss-Czech Chamber of Commerce

Country information, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO

As part of Horizon 2020, researchers from both countries worked together on over 100 projects.

The Czech-Swiss Research Infrastructure Initiative programme of the second Swiss contribution is intended to fund new partnership initiatives between national infrastructure hubs. For example, the integration of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) of the Czech Republic into international networks is to be facilitated. In addition, this infrastructure is to be promoted in general and more researchers are to be encouraged to use this facility.

Researchers and artists from the Czech Republic can apply to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists, SERI

The Czech Republic is one of the recipients of the second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states, which is intended to help reduce social and economic disparities in the EU. The programme has a total budget of CHF 90 million for the period 2023-2029 (consisting of the Swiss contribution of CHF 76.9 million and Czech co-financing of CHF 13.3 million).

Since the programme was signed, negotiations have been held between the Swiss and Czech sides on four thematic areas:

• Environment (sustainable tourism and promotion of biodiversity)
• Research infrastructure
• Health (homecare)
• Migration (integration of ukranian refugees)

Programmes/projects in the Czech Republic

As one of Europe’s cultural hotspots, Prague is a popular venue for
Swiss artists of all disciplines. Switzerland takes part in various cultural projects in the Czech Republic (literature, theatre, film, circus, design and music festivals) as well as in the promotion of the visual arts and cooperation with foreign and Czech cultural centres and institutions.

According to the Statistics on the Swiss Abroad, 1,570 Swiss citizens were living in Czechia at the end of 2023.

Some 13,000 refugees from Czechoslovakia were taken in by Switzerland after the Prague Spring of 1968.

The dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 resulted in the creation of two new states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Switzerland officially recognised the Czech Republic on the day of its foundation, i.e. 1 January 1993.

During the transitional phase of the 1990s, the Czech Republic became a priority country for Swiss aid to Eastern Europe. The Swiss federal government provided funds totalling CHF 50 million in support of a series of projects.

Czech Republic, Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (de, fr, it)