Swiss President Calls India Visit a ‘Stepping Stone’ to Deepen Long-Standing Partnership

Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin on Monday described his India visit as a “stepping stone” towards further strengthening the close and long-standing partnership between the two countries, with trade, investment, technology and innovation high on the bilateral agenda.

Parmelin received a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed him on his arrival.

Speaking after the ceremony, the Swiss President said the visit provides an important opportunity for both countries to reaffirm the significance of their relationship.

“The visit is an excellent opportunity to emphasise the importance that both Switzerland and India attach to this relationship,” Parmelin said, highlighting the partnership’s foundation in shared democratic values, trust and mutual respect.

He said his visit would help broaden and deepen cooperation while allowing the two sides to exchange views on bilateral and global issues.

“My visit is a stepping stone towards further growth, deepening and strengthening of our close, broad and long-standing partnership,” Parmelin said.

A key focus of the visit is the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which connects India with the four European Free Trade Association members — Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Signed in March 2024, TEPA entered into force on October 1, 2025. Parmelin said his visit comes at an appropriate time to mark the agreement’s first anniversary and assess the progress made under the partnership.

“It is the right moment to celebrate how far we have come together, but even more importantly, to shape our joint future,” he said.

The Swiss President arrived in India for a three-day State visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), his delegation includes senior government officials and business leaders, underlining the economic and commercial importance attached to the visit.

This is Parmelin’s first State visit to India and his second visit to the country this year. He had earlier travelled to New Delhi in February to attend the AI Impact Summit.

During his visit, Parmelin and Modi are scheduled to review progress in bilateral cooperation covering trade and investment, science and technology, innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people ties. The two leaders will also discuss regional and global developments and cooperation in multilateral forums.

Parmelin is also scheduled to meet President Murmu, who will host an official banquet in his honour, while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to hold talks with the Swiss President.

The visit will also include Parmelin’s participation in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, an event that will coincide with the first anniversary of TEPA coming into force.

The MEA has described Switzerland as India’s largest trade and investment partner among the four EFTA countries. The ministry has also emphasised the importance of sustained high-level engagement in expanding cooperation between New Delhi and Bern.

“India and Switzerland share longstanding friendly relations. This visit will further strengthen bilateral relations, building upon the regular high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest,” the MEA said.

The visit builds on a series of high-level exchanges in recent years. The last State visit by an Indian President to Switzerland took place in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi visited Switzerland in 2016 and 2018.

The latest engagement comes as India and Switzerland seek to translate their longstanding political relationship into deeper economic, technological and people-to-people cooperation, particularly through the opportunities created by the India-EFTA trade pact.