On Sunday, 6 May, the day on which the 32 new recruits of the Swiss Guard were sworn in, Mr de Buman attended the traditional mass held by the Cardinal and Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Later he was received by His Holiness Pope Francis for a brief audience. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Dominique de Buman went to speak to the new guards to congratulate them and wish them courage and success.
On Monday, 7 May, Mr de Buman was received by his Italian counterpart Roberto Fico, the president of the Chamber of Deputies. Italy is a key partner for Switzerland and the visit contributed to renewing the good relations between the two parliaments – strengthened by language, culture and shared democratic values – considering the recent elections in Italy.
Together with the president and vice president of the Delegation for Relations with the Italian Parliament (Del-I), National Council member Marco Chiesa and Council of States member Fabio Abate, Dominique de Buman was able to discuss some common topical themes with his counterpart, such as transport, the agreement on frontier workers and access to financial markets. The two politicians highlighted and stressed the importance of continuing to foster relations between the two countries. The meeting also provided an opportunity for an exchange on the current political situation in Italy.
Dominique de Buman also visited a number of international organisations. He was received by Gilbert F. Houngbo – president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of which Switzerland is a member and co-funder – where talks focused on the challenges faced by IFAD in its work. IFAD is a specialised agency of the United Nations tasked with helping men and women in the rural community to improve their food security and the quality of their diet, to increase their income and strengthen their resilience.
The visit continued to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where Mr de Buman was received by the director general, José Graziano da Silva. The FAO, of which Switzerland has been a member since 1946, plays a fundamental role in international coordination, technical support, research networks on food security and nutrition, the livelihood of the rural population and the management and sustainable use of natural resources.
Mr de Buman also paid a visit to the Istituto Svizzero di Roma (ISR), where he met the director, Joëlle Comé. The ISR, established in 1947 with the support of the Confederation, promotes cultural and scientific exchanges between Switzerland and Italy and is able to count on the support of numerous institutional partners, including the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Federal Office of Culture.
The president of the National Council, accompanied by Ambassador Claudio Fischer, head of International Relations and Multilingualism at the Parliamentary Services, was welcomed to the Vatican and Rome by the Swiss ambassador to the Holy See, Pierre-Yves Fux, and the ambassador to Italy, Giancarlo Kessler.