The conference took place in Rome, fifty years after being held there in 1975, at the invitation of the presidents of the two Italian chambers. It focused on three themes: 'Resilient democracies: united against hybrid threats', 'Artificial intelligence and the labour market', and 'Renewing the rules-based international order: the role of parliaments in addressing and responding to contemporary crises'.
Strengthening the role of parliaments and their contribution to the international order
In his address, Mr Page emphasised that parliaments could not stand idly by while international law was being called into question and power politics was making a comeback. He highlighted their role in lending foreign policy democratic legitimacy, overseeing how international decisions are implemented and keeping dialogue going when relations between governments become strained. He also reiterated Switzerland's commitment to strong and credible multilateralism – notably through its good offices and International Geneva – based on the principle that, between nations, the rule of law must take precedence over force.
Bilateral meeting
On the sidelines of the conference, Mr Page met with the chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili. The meeting coincided with the official visit to Georgia by the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, in his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and in connection with Switzerland's mandate to represent Georgia's interests in Russia and vice versa.
Mr Papuashvili expressed his gratitude to Switzerland for its mediating role and its support for Georgia’s territorial integrity. For his part, Mr Page highlighted Switzerland’s commitment to cooperation in Georgia, particularly in the development of a dual-track system of vocational education and training in the agriculture, hospitality and catering sectors.
The Georgian delegation also expressed interest in the recent referendum on Swiss neutrality, the issues at stake and the outcome. In this regard, the Mr Page emphasised that the Swiss people had reaffirmed their commitment to active neutrality, exercised in accordance with international law and the values upheld by Switzerland.