Address by the President of the Council of States, Hansheiri Inderkum

Dear Mr. Deputy Prime Minister
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to thank you for your invitation to the 10th Russian Financial and Economic Forum in Switzerland. I am delighted to be able to be here today. As you may know, I have a particular connection to Russia as a I come from the canton of Uri. Two-hundred years ago, an important event in Russian and Swiss history unfolded in my canton. This event was so dramatic that it is remembered to this day in Russia as in Switzerland. The Suvorov monument in the Schöllenen gorge is a small piece of Uri that will forever be Russian territory.
A foundation of which I am president, is the owner of the Suvorov house, the oldest and most architecturally and historically valuable house in Uri. It was there that General Alexander Suvorov set up camp on his retreat to Russia in 1799. I am also still involved in the Alexander Suvorov Cadets Foundation. The foundation aims to support the Suvorov cadets in word and deed by organising forums and gatherings, by producing publications and by continuing the tradition of annual visits by the Suvorov cadets to Switzerland. It also nurtures the friendship between Switzerland and Russia, particularly in activities to promote peace.

Ladies and gentlemen,
This is now the tenth year in which the Russian Economic and Financial Forum has chosen Switzerland as the platform for its interesting, informative and fruitful discussions. The Forum has become a tradition and is already a permanent fixture in many people’s diaries.

The world is still feeling the effects of the financial crisis – even if the OECD has just corrected upwards its growth forecasts for the year ahead. This conference here in Zurich provides an ideal opportunity to address a number of important issues with regard to our own, European and global economic and financial centres. Maybe one or two solutions will even emerge.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The longstanding bilateral relations between Russia and Switzerland prove that even two countries that differ in very many respects can negotiate with each other as equal partners and thus better understand the position of the other. There are no, or very few, differences between us on the international stage. Russia is an extremely important partner in economic terms, but it is also important for us politically, because Russia plays a key part in all major world issues, especially in the UN. Russia is the only permanent member of the Security Council with which Switzerland conducts annual reciprocal diplomatic visits at ministerial level.
As far as I am able to tell, Russia values Switzerland as a neutral country, which is neither a member of the European Union, nor of NATO. It is a very interesting parallel that two quite different countries find themselves in a similar situation with regard to the EU.
Cooperation between the two countries is so encouraging that the economic plan of action which expired at the end of last year was extended for a further three years and also broadened in scope. Under the new plan, cooperation is to be developed in business, trade, investment and finance. And cooperation in energy research and security, civil aviation and the streamlining of customs formalities is also to be included in the plan. The two trade partners also wish to further enhance exchanges in the field of tourism.

As I am sure you are aware, Switzerland and the other EFTA states would like to conclude a free trade agreement with Russia and its customs union partners, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Negotiations were formally launched last November. From Switzerland’s perspective a trade agreement with such a large economy would naturally open up exciting prospects. Following a sharp fall in imports and exports in 2009, trade figures in 2010 were once again very positive. Exports rose by 24% compared to the same period in the previous year, and imports even rose by 49%. Today there are around 150 Swiss firms active in Russia registered with the Swiss Embassy in Moscow. In the first half of 2010, Switzerland was ranked twelfth among foreign investors in Russia.

I will close by saying that I hope this tenth edition of the Forum is the most successful and stimulating yet.

Thank you for listening.