Swiss seek “open and constructive” dialogue during Turkish minister visit

Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Bern on Friday where he reiterated its good offices offer to resolve the issue with Cyprus. This is Çavuşoğlu's second visit to Switzerland in two years and follows a visit by Cassis to Ankara last summer when both agreed to further bilateral relations. "Turkey is a very important partner for Switzerland, and we intend to pursue an open and constructive dialogue," said Cassis in a press statement. Switzerland is the eighth largest international investor in Turkey and over 300 Swiss companies operate in the country. There is also a large Turkish diaspora in Switzerland. The ministers discussed the impact of Covid-19 and a range of economic issues including the free trade agreement between the European free trade area (EFTA) countries and Turkey, which is currently stuck in the Turkish parliament. Both countries reaffirmed their interest in finalising the treaty. Cassis also praised Turkey's...