The potential to deepen bilateral relations with Switzerland was a key talking point when Ambassador of Switzerland to Barbados, Jürg Sprecher, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable, Jerome Walcott, at his Culloden Road, St. Michael office, on Wednesday.
Minister Walcott identified tourism and life sciences as areas for possible cooperation and noted that Barbados and Switzerland have enjoyed a friendly diplomatic relationship over the years. He also thanked the Swiss for their multilateral support to Small Island Development States.
The two officials also examined possible cooperation in the area of hospitality given that Switzerland is known to have one of the leading hospitality institutes in the world.
Ambassador Sprecher commended Barbados for implementing its digital nomad programme (Welcome Stamp Programme) and its continuous advocacy regarding climate change.
Matters of food security, COVID-19, airlift, energy, the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt and digitisation were also discussed.
Barbados and the Swiss Confederation established formal diplomatic ties on March 4, 1980.