Swiss and German leaders discuss European security and tariffs pressure

On the subject of the customs duties imposed by the United States on Europe, Keller-Sutter stressed the need to avoid friction in the areas of taxation and trade. Keystone-SDA

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed the commitment of their two countries to security in Europe and the consequences of US tariffs.

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Keller-Sutter and Merz also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Swiss foreign ministry. The Swiss President took the opportunity to stress the importance for Switzerland of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Merz spoke in favour of Geneva as the venue for a conference on a pathway to peace in Ukraine. He announced that he would “propose Geneva again” at the next “coalition of the willing” meeting.

This support is in addition to that of French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. Keller-Sutter said that Switzerland was ready to “launch and hold discussions in Geneva”.

Avoiding friction

On the subject of the customs duties imposed by the United States on Europe, Keller-Sutter stressed the need to avoid friction in the areas of taxation and trade. In her view, this should help to ensure the competitiveness of European nations. The Swiss president welcomed the European Union’s desire to reduce the administrative burden and the OECD’s development of minimum taxation.

+ What do 39% US tariffs mean for the Swiss economy?

Keller-Sutter and Merz also took advantage of the meeting to emphasise the value of bilateral and cross-border cooperation between Switzerland and Germany. The two countries cooperate in many areas, including the economy, science, education, energy, transport, migration and defence.

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Translated with DeepL/gw

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