Ignazio Cassis in Pristina tomorrow, with trade, KFOR and new Swiss embassy on the agenda

Ignazio Cassis, a federal councillor and Switzerland’s foreign minister, will make an official visit to Kosovo tomorrow, November 5. The stop in Pristina is part of his regional tour from November 4 to 6, which also includes Serbia and North Macedonia.

Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs says Cassis will meet President Justina Shiroka Pula, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Glauk Konjufca.

Talks are expected to focus on the free trade agreement between Kosovo and the EFTA countries, including Switzerland. The agreement, which recently entered into force, creates new opportunities for exports and investment. Switzerland will also reaffirm its support for dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

During his stay in Pristina, Cassis will visit the KFOR mission, where Switzerland has been present through its SWISSCOY contingent since 1999. He will also visit the OSCE mission in Kosovo, as Switzerland holds the organization’s chairmanship this year. The new premises of the Swiss embassy in Pristina will also be inaugurated during the visit.

In its announcement, Bern cites the large diaspora from Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia living in Switzerland as one reason for its close relations with the three countries.

The trip comes during a period of change for the region, following elections in Serbia and ahead of the publication of the European Commission’s annual report on candidate countries.