The first part of the visit will take place in the Netherlands from Monday, 30 September to Wednesday, 2 October. There will be visits to several multilateral and international justice institutions in The Hague – which has been known as the international city of peace and justice since the turn of the 20th century, in honour of its role hosting the first international peace conference. Mr Nussbaumer and the delegation will utilise this opportunity to emphasise Switzerland's and Parliament's continued support for the international legal order and its institutions, especially at a time when they are under particular pressure. The delegation will meet judges and senior representatives from the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the Special Chamber for Kosovo. They are also set to meet with Swiss officials seconded to international organisations in The Hague.
In The Hague, the parliamentary delegation will discuss bilateral relations with the Netherlands. On Monday, 30 September, Mr Nussbaumer will meet Martin Bosma, the President of the House of Representatives. He will also meet with members of the House committees on European and foreign affairs. A courtesy visit to the President of the Senate, Jan Anthonie Bruijn, is scheduled for 2 October. Switzerland and the Netherlands enjoy excellent bilateral relations, based on shared views of many economic and political topics and strong economic ties (CHF 12 million in goods per year and the same amount in services). Talks will focus on bilateral relations and the countries' European policies, extending to pressing international issues such as Russia's war against Ukraine. A meeting with the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry and talks with experts on Ukraine and European security will be held on 30 September. The official visit to the Netherlands will end with a visit to the port of Rotterdam, a maritime outlet for the Swiss economy thanks to shipping on the Rhine, which is another area of bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and the Netherlands.
The second part of the visit will take place in Luxembourg on Wednesday and Thursday, 2 and 3 October at the invitation of the President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler. The parliamentary delegation will have the opportunity to visit the Chamber of Deputies, Council of State and Committee on International and European Affairs. The aim of the visit is to strengthen interparliamentary relations with the Grand Duchy, which maintains excellent bilateral relations with Switzerland and cooperates with it in various fields, particularly at the multilateral level. As a country with an advanced economy that is faced with significant migration and border flows in relation to its size, Luxembourg is a particularly interesting political reference for discussing these issues. Following on from his meetings with the justice institutions in The Hague, Mr Nussbaumer will visit the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Mr Nussbaumer will be accompanied by National Council member Martin Candinas (The Centre, GR) and, for the visit to the Netherlands on 30 September, by National Council member Beat Walti (FDP, ZH).