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Swiss and NATO to boost exchange of information

Military badge for Swiss members of KFOR
Swiss troops have been involved in NATO peacekeeping operations (KFOR) in Kosovo since 1999 but Switzerland is not a member of the western military alliance. © Keystone/Christian Beutler

The Swiss government has approved a deal on the exchange of sensitive information with NATO.

The agreement is aimed at protecting each other’s classified digital information and cyber security, according to the defence ministry.

The deal allows Swiss companies to apply for projects with classified content NATO puts out to tender, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Switzerland and the 30-member western defence alliance concluded a General Security Agreement in 1997. It formed the basis for neutral Switzerland’s participation in NATO peacekeeping operations in Kosovo.

The defence ministry added that Switzerland concluded similar agreements about sensitive information with many organisations and nations.

Bilateral cooperation began when Switzerland joined NATO’s Partnership for PeaceExternal link programme in 1996 and became a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council a year later.

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