Strengthening Economic Relations – GulfToday
Guy Parmelin speaks during an interview in Dubai on Saturday. WAM
Around 240,000 annual round trips between Switzerland and the UAE, the presence of the largest Swiss expatriate community in the region in the Emirates and solid bilateral business and investment relationships make the UAE “an important partner for Switzerland in the Middle East”. The Swiss president told the Emirates (WAM) news agency.
“With almost 3,000 inhabitants, the UAE is home to the largest community of Swiss people in the Middle East and North Africa. In general, around 140,000 emiratis travel to Switzerland every summer to enjoy the beautiful nature. On the other hand, an estimated 100,000 Swiss visit the UAE every year, ”said Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Confederation.
In an exclusive interview in Dubai he added: “Today, the UAE is Switzerland’s eleventh most important trading partner worldwide.”
UAE as an important partner: The UAE are an important partner for Switzerland in the Middle East and North Africa, emphasized Parmelin. “According to the Mena strategy adopted by the Swiss government, our priorities for relations with the UAE include business, finance and science, sustainable development, digitization, as well as peace, security and human rights.” Economic ties with the UAE remain strong despite the setback from the COVID-19 pandemic, the president stressed.
“Trade between us reached $ 13 billion in 2020 and Switzerland remains a major investor as Swiss companies create around 10,000 jobs in the UAE alone,” he said, adding that there are more than 200 Swiss companies in the UAE are active.
Parmelin, who arrived in Dubai on Thursday evening for a three-day official visit, met with His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, in the Switzerland Pavilion on Friday at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The President will also meet with other senior Emirates officials “to discuss how we can deepen an already very strong relationship, especially when it comes to business and investment.”
The bilateral talks will also address global issues like climate change, including the urgency of ambitious climate action by each country and the need to agree on robust rulebook under the Paris Agreement at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), he said revealed .
“I believe there are different areas in which we could support dialogue and cooperation in the region. The UAE is an important and influential actor in the Middle East and North Africa. That is why we regularly discuss political developments in the wider region, including what is happening in Afghanistan, ”he said.
“We want to intensify this exchange by 2023, when the UAE and hopefully also Switzerland become members of the UN Security Council.”
Expo is unique: on Friday he attended the official Swiss national holiday at Expo 2020. “The Swiss pavilion is a unique architectural experience and I hope that many Emiratis will come and see for themselves.”
The expo is unique in that it is the first of its kind in the Middle East, noted Parmelin.
“Second, it comes at a very special moment and is essentially the first real opportunity to meet people from around the world on a large scale since the pandemic began,” he said, adding that it will also be an opportunity to amplify bilateral cooperation in matters of education, research and innovation.
This is his first official visit to the United Arab Emirates. “All I can say is that I am impressed. What this country has achieved in the only 50 years since it was founded deserves praise and admiration.
I see a country that is both modern and cosmopolitan, while at the same time maintaining its traditions and culture.
As such, the UAE reminds me of Switzerland. ”He welcomed the UAE’s national climate protection plan with its comprehensive strategic priorities, including the“ UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative ”, a national initiative aimed at achieving net zero emissions by up to 2050, making the Emirates the first Mena nation to do so.
“At the same time, all of our efforts must be focused on achieving the global targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
“Given the negative impact of COVID-19 on economic growth, financing the clean energy transition has become an even bigger challenge,” he said.
Switzerland will host a hydropower conference in Geneva in autumn 2022 that will address the issue of financing, the president said.
Parmelin, 61, had an academic background in agriculture and worked as a farmer.
“It influenced me; it’s my identity. My training and my previous work as a farmer have taught me one thing above all else: Those who are rooted in the country they come from enable them to face the future with serenity and confidence. Besides, you can only harvest if you have sown in time, ”he explained.
Switzerland was the first country to confirm its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. The Swiss Pavilion is located in the Opportunity District and offers an emotional journey through Switzerland. Visitors enjoy traditional Switzerland, known for its magical landscapes and mountains, through the extraordinary “Sea of Fog” experience before discovering the country’s innovative projects and global achievements in the fields of technology, education, sustainability, etc.
In cooperation with Swissnex and in line with the Expo theme weeks, the Swiss Pavilion is organizing a series of talks, conferences, workshops and exhibitions on topics such as Urban & Rural Development, Tolerance & Inclusive, Technology, Health & Wellness, and others until March 2022.
According to the Global Innovation Index 2021 – WIPO, Switzerland remains the most innovative country in the world for the 11th time in a row. As of October 1st, the pavilion has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors from around the world and was one of the six longest queues at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The Swiss pavilion relies on a public-private partnership model with partners: Schindler, Rolex SA, Schweiz Tourismus, Clariant, Novartis, Roche, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa and KGS Diamond Group Ltd – and numerous suppliers. The Swiss pavilion offers a unique encounter with Switzerland.
It highlights Switzerland as a country of scenic beauty and a leading technology and innovation center by showcasing the excellence of Swiss universities, start-ups and companies and organizing joint events with local partners.
The Swiss pavilion is based on a public-private partnership model. It promotes Switzerland’s economic performance and attractiveness for the UAE – the most important trading partner in the Middle East.
Together with its partners Schindler, Rolex SA, Switzerland Tourism, Roche, Clariant, Novartis, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa as well as KGS Diamond Group Ltd and suppliers, it focuses on its high-quality products and services.
Presence Switzerland is in charge of the Swiss pavilion.
It is the department of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs that is responsible for Switzerland’s image abroad and for Switzerland’s official presence at international events such as the world exhibitions.
WAM