The president of the National Council, Eric Nussbaumer (BL/PS), will pay an official visit to Kosovo from 8 to 11 July. In addition to the official meetings scheduled on site, he will visit SWISSCOY in Mitrovica to find out about its work and the security situation in the north of the country. The visit forms part of Switzerland's ongoing efforts to strengthen its bilateral relations with Kosovo and support peace and stability in the region.

Mr Nussbaumer will be met in Pristina on 9 July by the president of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca. Discussions will focus on the parliamentary technical cooperation between the Swiss Parliamentary Services and the Assembly of Kosovo, which began in 2021 with the support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The aim of this cooperation is to share expertise and best practices in institutional communication and public relations with a view to enhancing the transparency of the Assembly of Kosovo. Mr Nussbaumer will also hold talks with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, on Switzerland's commitment to Kosovo and the current challenges in the region.

On 10 July, Mr Nussbaumer will meet representatives of SWISSCOY and KFOR in Pristina, before travelling to Mitrovica, a town of 100,000 inhabitants in the north of Kosovo, where Serbian and Albanian communities live apart on either side of the river Ibar.

Switzerland plays an active role in Kosovo by promoting the inclusion of minorities and supporting economic development. Mr Nussbaumer will hold talks with minority representatives and visit a vocational training centre supported by Switzerland. The programme also includes a lunch with the Swiss-Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, which will provide an opportunity to discuss economic opportunities for Swiss entrepreneurs in Kosovo.

Eric Nussbaumer will be accompanied by National Council members Marc Jost (BE/EVP) and Cédric Wermuth (AG/SP).