Switzerland's political representatives overseas have wrapped up their annual weeklong meeting with a pledge to channel greater efforts into encouraging business efforts abroad.

The conference ended with an address by the Swiss president, Adolf Ogi, in his hometown of Kandersteg, in the Bernese Oberland.

The trip was a welcome breath of fresh air for the ambassadors, who had spent a week discussing EU and UN membership, and the need for more economic ties with other countries.

One of the focal points of the talks was Switzerland's export-boosting legislation that is due to come into effect at the beginning of 2001. To promote better ties with the Swiss business community, the ambassadors found time this week to fan out and meet entrepreneurs thoughout the country.

More than 100 of them visited small and medium sized companies in Neuchatel, Lucerne, Berne, Basel, Aargau and the Emmental. The aim now is to cooperate extensively with the business community, rather than just provide lists of corporate contacts, which can just as easily be accessed via the Internet.

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