May 19, 2026, 12:52 p.mMay 19, 2026, 12:52 p.m
Federal President Guy Parmelin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Tuesday. The focus of the conversation was economic cooperation, European security and Switzerland’s relations with the European Union.
Friedrich Merz and Guy Parmelin discussed each other in Berlin on Tuesday.Image: keystone
The importance of cooperation between like-minded partners is particularly great in the challenging geopolitical situation, it was said on Tuesday after the meeting in Berlin. Federal President Guy Parmelin and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also discussed strengthening European competitiveness. According to both sides, this requires the reduction of trade barriers, sustainability, digital transformation and innovation.
Germany and Switzerland are closely linked linguistically and geographically, also because of tens of thousands of cross-border commuters, said Merz at the joint press conference with the Federal President. Both economies benefited from this.
Germany is Switzerland’s most important economic partner; conversely, Switzerland is the seventh most important partner for Germany. The trade volume between the two countries grew by 8.6 percent in 2025, as the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research (WBF) wrote in the statement. Germany is also the most important partner for Switzerland in the areas of education, research and innovation.
Security and EU relations
In the discussion section on European security architecture, Parmelin and Merz discussed the war in Ukraine and its consequences. Both agreed that European states must take more responsibility for their own security. Switzerland is supporting peace efforts in Europe, among other things, with this year’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Switzerland’s relations with the European Union (EU) were also part of the conversation. The Federal President explained the upcoming steps regarding the planned package of agreements, which is intended to stabilize and further develop relations between Switzerland and the EU. (hkl/sda/ans)