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State visit by German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Alain Berset welcomes Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender at Zurich Airport; a special train takes them to Kehrsatz, then to Berne, where the Federal Council in corpore receives them with military honours. Talks at the Bernerhof: bilateral trade (nearly 100 billion francs in 2017), Zurich Airport, the institutional agreement with the EU, migration, Iran, Korea. Before the press: “Deutschland und die Schweiz sind heute eine Wertegemeinschaft.” At the state dinner, the President jokes about grand coalitions: the German “GroKo” would trigger a state crisis in Switzerland, “weil sie für die Schweiz viel zu klein wäre”.
26 April is devoted to democracy and sustainable development. At the University of Fribourg, the two presidents debate the future of democracy in the digital age with students. Then come the “NeighborHub” solar pavilion at Bluefactory with Doris Leuthard, St. Nicholas Cathedral, a flight over the Aletsch Glacier, and the grave of the Mann family in Kilchberg.
Wednesday 25 April 2018 — Zurich, Kehrsatz, Berne
- Welcome at Zurich Airport, special train to Kehrsatz, welcome by the municipality
- Reception by the Federal Council in corpore with military honours
- Welcome addresses at the Federal Palace
- Official talks at the Bernerhof
- Joint press conference
- State dinner hosted by the Federal Council, dinner speech by the President
Thursday 26 April 2018 — Fribourg, Kilchberg
- Round table with students at the University of Fribourg on democracy in the 21st century
- Visit to the “NeighborHub” solar pavilion at Bluefactory, with Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard
- Visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral
- Flight over the Aletsch Glacier
- Visit to the grave of the Mann family in Kilchberg
- Farewell at Zurich Airport
Speeches on this site
- Besuch von Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier (in German, French-language page)
- Point de presse avec le président fédéral allemand Frank-Walter Steinmeier (in German, French-language page)
- Discours de table pour la visite d’État de Frank-Walter Steinmeier (in German, French-language page)
Sources