FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel holds political consultations with Germany in Bern
Bern, 30.09.2026 — State Secretary Alexandre Fasel today received his counterpart from the German Federal Foreign Office, Géza Andreas von Geyr, for political talks. Their discussion centred on the close relations between Switzerland and its largest trading partner, Germany, as well as issues relating to competitiveness and security in Europe. The two state secretaries also discussed their countries' respective positions on other geopolitical developments.
At their meeting, Mr Fasel and Mr von Geyr expressed their desire to further develop the close working relationship that already exists between Switzerland and Germany. This is a necessary step, not least from the geopolitical perspective, they said. In particular they expressed a wish to see greater collaboration in the research and innovation sectors between their two countries and more broadly across Europe. Examples include the opening of the ETH Zurich campus in Heilbronn in July of this year, and the memorandum of understanding between Switzerland and Germany on research, which was signed today in Bern
They also specifically addressed questions relating to security in Europe. Mr Fasel underlined Switzerland's resolve to support Ukraine in alignment with Swiss neutrality. The decision of the Federal Council to begin exploratory talks with the EU on a security and defence partnership was also discussed.
Switzerland and Germany continue to work to secure the infrastructure needed for reliable supply chains and resilient energy supplies. To better connect the Swiss rail network with the surrounding region, Switzerland is contributing CHF 50 million to the electrification of the Hochrheinbahn railway line between. The two countries also emphasised the need to adapt supply chain safeguards in the face of climate change. For example, ways will be needed to offset the reduced cargo-carrying capacity of shipping on the Rhine because of low water levels during prolonged dry spells like those of this year.
The two state secretaries also spoke about Swiss relations with the EU, with Mr Fasel providing an update on the parliamentary debate on the Swiss–EU package (Bilaterals III). Other topics were the humanitarian situation in Gaza and growing violence by settlers in the West Bank. Both parties restated the importance of compliance with international law. In conclusion, the delegations talked about developments in Iran and the Balkans.