Chinese Premier Li Xiang met with President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd in Bern, and they agreed to deepen free trade relations between the two countries. For this purpose, they agreed to complete a joint study. “This is an important step towards new negotiations,” the Swiss government said.
China also announced that it will now provide Switzerland with a unilateral visa exemption, which will facilitate the visa process for Chinese citizens and investors.
The two leaders held talks before the World Economic Forum in Davos. They also agreed to hold another bilateral meeting this year, which will include strategic consultations at the level of foreign ministers, and working group meetings will be held on financial policy, energy and education issues, in addition to consultations on the affairs of the UN Security Council. .
According to the Chinese Premier, the two countries should cooperate in more common areas, such as customs affairs, and promote and strengthen cooperation in green transformation, finance and digital economy.
“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 74 years ago, great progress has been made in bilateral relations,” Li said.
Li is the highest-ranking Chinese official to travel to Switzerland since President Xi Jinping's visit in 2017.
Cover image source: Shutterstock
