Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov met with the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation H.E. Mr. Raymund Furrer
13 May 2024 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Sofia — H.E. Raymund Furrer. The two diplomats exchanged views on topical issues of foreign policy, relations between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation, the upcoming Formula for Peace Summit, which will be held on June 15—16 this year in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed Ambassador Furrer at the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said that he was satisfied with the close cooperation of our country with the Swiss Confederation in a number of areas of mutual interest. He thanked H. E. Ambassador Furrer for the support the Swiss Confederation provides to Bulgaria in areas such as dual education and scientific cooperation. Special mention was made of the successful partnership model in the field of innovation and artificial intelligence, which is dynamically developing within the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology at Sofia University /INSAIT/, together with ETH Zurich.
Ambassador Raymund Furrer noted with satisfaction the excellent state of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and the Swiss Confederation. He stressed the importance of the projects agreed by the Bulgarian coordinators with the Government of the Swiss Confederation, which are to be implemented with funds from the Second Swiss Cohesion Contribution to selected EU Member States. Swiss financial assistance of 92.5 million Swiss francs will complement the implementation of national policies in the areas until 2029: dual vocational education and training, research and innovation, security and migration, environment, social policy and civil society, without overlapping funding from other financial sources.
As a close partner of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation relies on an intensified dialogue with the Member States, especially in areas of high added value for the entire European Union In this context, Ambassador Furrer stressed the importance that the Swiss Confederation attaches to cooperation in the field of education, science and innovative technologies as a guarantor of better conditions for competitiveness and realization of the next generations.
H.E. Ambassador Raymund Furrer highlighted the good interaction of the Swiss Embassy with the state institutions in Bulgaria and highly appreciated the expertise of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Service as well as the training programs of the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.