Sheikh Abdullah meets Swiss Confederation President, delivers UAE President message

Ignazio Cassis, President of the Swiss Confederation and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has received a written message from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, inviting him to visit the UAE, as part of the UAE's keenness on stepping up efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The message was delivered to President Cassis by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during a reception the President held in Locarno, Switzerland.

Sheikh Abdullah relayed the greetings of President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed and his wishes of further progress and prosperity for Switzerland.

For his part, President Cassis conveyed his greetings to the UAE President, expressing his wish to see the UAE achieve further development and wellbeing.

During the meeting, they discussed the UAE-Switzerland friendship and cooperation in a number of sectors, including economic, trade and investment fields.

The sides also exchanged views on issues in the region, as well as on developments at the regional and international levels.

President Cassis underscored the close and distinguished relations that their countries share and his country's desire to bolster cooperation with the UAE across various fields.

For his part, Sheikh Abdullah affirmed that the UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is keen on enhancing its cooperation with Switzerland to serve the interests of their countries peoples, highlighting the bright prospects for strengthening the UAE-Switzerland partnership that would help their sustainable development efforts.

After the meeting, the President of the Swiss Confederation accompanied Sheikh Abdullah on a visit to the botanical garden on the Brissago Islands, which are among Switzerland's most renowned tourist destinations, after which they attended a reception ceremony held as part of the Locarno Film Festival.

They also visited the headquarters of the Schindler Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of elevators, escalators and moving walks, founded in 1872. During the visit, Sheikh Abdullah was briefed on the group's various companies, their production lines and the advanced technologies they use, as well as the Group's specialised training programme that qualifies students to work at the company after graduation.

The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the industrial progress that Switzerland has achieved and its keenness to empower youth to work in this vital sector, which serves as an essential pillar for driving economic prosperity and sustainable development.

Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Dr Hessa Abdullah Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, and Omran Sharaf, Director of Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) and Chairman of the United Nations' Committee on The Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, attended the meeting and accompanied Sheikh Abdullah throughout his visit.

WAM