Led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, and the Federal Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, the meeting served for the delegations of the two countries to analyse the "state of political-diplomatic and economic and trade relations, in addition to strengthening the cooperation of the bonds of friendship and solidarity between the two countries", says a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to which VerAngola had access.
At the meeting, the delegations discussed matters of bilateral interest, "focusing on the assessment of the state of bilateral cooperation and legal matters between the two countries, in addition to regional, international and human rights issues".
Both parties also outlined "future plans for the continued increase in bilateral cooperation", with initiatives including the implementation of the third session of bilateral political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation.
"The two delegations promise to work hard to boost and protect business activity by signing the Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment (APPRI) soon", the statement reads.
In addition, "the review and implementation of existing legal instruments to align them with current priorities and opportunities is also planned, with particular emphasis on the agreement to avoid double taxation on income taxes and prevent tax evasion".
As for Human Rights, the country continues to "consolidate the progress made in the last five years" on this issue, honouring "the international commitments undertaken, and is preparing to present its 4th Universal Periodic Review to the Human Rights Council (assessment scheduled for early 2025)", the ministry points out.
In addition to this meeting, Téte António also delivered to Ignazio Cassis a message from the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, to his Swiss counterpart, Viola Patrícia Amherd. According to another note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which VerAngola had access, the letter "expresses the friendship and solidarity between the two countries".
It should be noted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has been in Switzerland since early Tuesday morning for a 24-hour working visit, as part of the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
