Azerbaijan has opportunity to take decisive step towards lasting and just peace - Thomas Stehli

Swiss-Azerbaijani relations are friendly and strong, Ambassador Thomas Stehli said at a reception on the occasion of the country's National Day the previous day.

Bilateral ties are based on active economic cooperation, which has spread from the energy sector to other areas.

“Today we have the first innovative Swiss startups already operating in Azerbaijan,” the Ambassador noted

After the COP-29 climate conference, this cooperation will get even more impetus, especially in the field of sustainable technologies, the Ambassador noted adding that for the success of any business activity “a safe and predictable environment is necessary”.

As the diplomat emphasized, Azerbaijan has an opportunity to take a decisive step towards a lasting and just peace by putting an end to the long-standing conflict.  “I strongly support this step, which will take our economic cooperation to a new level,” the Ambassador noted.

Switzerland and Azerbaijan have “trusted multilateral cooperation, especially in international financial institutions (IMF and WB) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), where Azerbaijan is a part of the ‘Swiss Group’.”  Similarly, today Switzerland and Azerbaijan are working closely in the COP29 negotiation process.

Today, technical cooperation between the two countries focuses mainly on macroeconomic reforms and improvement of framework conditions for the private sector, which contributes to the diversification of Azerbaijan's economy.

Switzerland and Azerbaijan maintain friendly relations in political, economic or cultural spheres.  “This allows for an open and constructive dialog, which also leaves room for disagreements and criticism,” the Ambassador noted.

After all, friendly international relations cannot be reduced to abstract agreements or expressed in mere economic figures, there should be inter-human exchanges behind it as well.

In this regard, he informed of upcoming performances of Swiss singers Sophie de Quois and Simon Jacquard in Azerbaijan within the framework of “Bridge Building Tour”.

It should be noted that representatives of Switzerland together with Azerbaijani singer Gorgud performed a number of songs of world and Azerbaijani variety at the reception.

Added to this can be that contrary to the protocol at the receptions of diplomatic missions, there was no welcoming speech by a member of the Azerbaijani government.