Comparison between the five German-speaking countries in Lugano
Scientific Diplomacy and Cross-Border Cooperation at the Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland
At the invitation of Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the annual meeting of the five German-speaking foreign ministers took place in Lugano.
The talks focused on cross-border cooperation, including in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific diplomacy as part of digital foreign policy, and other European and international issues.
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis welcomed his counterparts from Germany, Austria and Luxembourg and his counterpart from Liechtenstein to his hometown of Lugano for this year’s meeting of German-speaking foreign ministers.
The annual meeting is a tribute to the close relationship between the German-speaking neighboring countries.
On this occasion, the head of the FDFA and his counterparts agreed that closer cooperation between like-minded European states remains essential in the context of the current pandemic and in dealing with future crises.
“The pandemic has demonstrated this very clearly: continuous dialogue, maintaining the free movement of people and the international movement of goods are indispensable, not only for us, but for a healthy and well-functioning Europe,” Federal Councillor Cassis said during the meeting.
Eine Freude, meine Amtskolleg:innen aus Deutschland , Österreich , Luxemburg & Liechtenstein in meiner Heimatstadt #Lugano zu empfangen Schwerpunkte: Bewältigung der Pandemie, grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit & #ScienceDiplomacy pic.twitter.com/3Pa7urVfMt
— Ignazio Cassis (@ignaziocassis) April 16, 2021
For Switzerland, this cooperation also means finding practical solutions for the nearly 340,000 cross-border commuters and border workers who come to work in Switzerland every day from neighboring countries.
The role of regional dialogue platforms, such as that of the Lake Constance region, was highlighted in this context.
Advancing the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation
The meeting also discussed the growing importance of science diplomacy in international relations.
The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) foundation presented its work in this field, and interoperable, cross-regional digital solutions were discussed, such as digital entry forms, whose usefulness was already evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and will prove indispensable in the future.
Digitization and scientific diplomacy – important pillars of Switzerland’s foreign policy strategy – will offer new solutions to traditional foreign policy.
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International Geneva, in which in addition to multilateral organizations, the scientific world and digitalization players such as the GESDA foundation are also active, could become the digital capital of the future.
European and international issues were also discussed during the talks, including Switzerland’s candidacy for the UN Security Council.
The Head of the FDFA also updated his counterparts on the status of the European dossier.
The meeting between the foreign ministers concluded with a visit to the Hermann Hesse Museum in Montagnola.
The deep ties of Switzerland and Ticino with the German-speaking area located in the heart of Europe are reflected in the life and work of Herman Hesse, Nobel Prize for Literature, who chose Ticino as his home a century ago.
