In Islamabad, talks with Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker othe National Assembly Asad Qaiser and other members of parliament are scheduled for 5 and 6 November. Meetings are also planned with President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In Lahore, Mr Fournier will meet with Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Governor of Punjab, on 7 November.
Relations between Switzerland and Pakistan are good. Switzerland recognised Pakistan after the founding of the country in 1947. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1949. Mr Fournier’s visit to Pakistan has therefore also been scheduled to coincide with the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Switzerland has been one of the most important sources of foreign direct investment in Pakistan for many years (ranking 5th in 2019). The annual trade volume of more than half a billion francs has grown by around 40% in the last five years. Twenty-one Swiss companies are based in Pakistan, some with their own production facilities, and employ around 15,000 people.
The official talks will focus on parliamentary relations (bilateral and multilateral), economic relations and regional and international issues.