Ignazio Cassis has landed in Indonesia to begin a diplomatic tour of the Asia-Pacific region. Talks will largely focus on economic ties.
On Tuesday, August 1, despite being in Jakarta, Cassis didn’t miss out on the chance to give a National Day speech in which he hailed the Swiss coexistence of cultures, languages, religions and beliefs – a “wealth” also found in Indonesia, he added.
Indeed, Indonesia’s national motto – “unity in diversity” – would equally well apply to the Alpine nation, Cassis quipped.
The foreign minister will be in Jakarta until Wednesday. A planned meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi will mainly focus on the economic partnership between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – of which Switzerland is a member – and Indonesia, the richest country in Southeast Asia.
In 2021 a trade agreement entered into force between the countries which was only narrowly accepted by Swiss voters after being forced to referendum.