Italian President Sergio Mattarella on a state visit to Switzerland
Ignazio Cassis welcomed the Italian head of state on Monday evening. He is due to meet federal advisers on Tuesday to discuss bilateral Swiss-Italian relations.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura were welcomed by Ignazio Cassis at Bern-Belp airport.
KEYSTONE/PETER SCHNEIDER
Arriving late Monday followingnoon, Italian President Sergio Mattarella began a two-day state visit to Switzerland on Tuesday. He will meet four Federal Councilors and visit the ETH Zurich.
Sergio Mattarella was welcomed by the President of the Confederation Ignazio Cassis on Monday evening at Bern-Belp airport. Tuesday morning, the two men went to the Paul Klee Center in Bern. The Italian President also met with representatives of the transalpine community in Switzerland.
In the followingnoon, the Italian Head of State was to be welcomed on the Place Fédérale in Bern by the Federal Council with military honours. Official talks are then scheduled at the Bernerhof with Ignazio Cassis, with the Federal Councilors Simonetta Sommaruga (DETEC) and Viola Amherd (DDPS) as well as with the Minister of the Economy Guy Parmelin.
Gala dinner
They will focus on bilateral Italian-Swiss relations, the security situation with regard to the war in Ukraine, European policy and the work of the UN Security Council. This first day will conclude with the traditional gala dinner in Bern.
On Wednesday, Sergio Mattarella and Ignazio Cassis will travel to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich for a visit dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship.
Nearly 320,000 Italian nationals live in Switzerland, making it the largest foreign community. Their president met a delegation Monday evening in Bern, as is usually done. The last official visit of an Italian head of state to Switzerland dates back to 2014, with Giorgio Napolitano. Aged 81, Sergio Mattarella was elected in 2015 and re-elected earlier this year.
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