Statement to the Press by the President of India at Berne, Swiss Confederation

I bring warm greetings and good wishes from the people of India - the largest democracy, to the friendly people of Switzerland - one of the oldest and most robust democracies in the world.

2. My delegation and I would like to thank the Government and the people of Switzerland, for the warm hospitality that we have received from the very moment of our arrival. We are delighted to be in Berne - the capital of a country renowned the world over, as much for the panoramic beauty of its mountains and lakes, as for the faultless precision of its technology.

3. India and Switzerland have much in common that we cherish and guard zealously - democratic values, respect for the rule of law, human rights, diversity of languages and religions. These commonalities have fostered close mutual understanding and cooperation on a wide range of issues - bilateral as well as multilateral. This was evident in the atmosphere as well as the content of the productive discussions, that I and my delegation had with President Micheline Calmy-Rey and other members of the Federal Council today.

4. I thanked the President for her personal contribution towards the strengthening of our bilateral relations. Her State visit to India in November 2007 was the highlight of the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Establishment between our two countries. This was among the first Treaties that India signed after its independence. During President Calmy-Rey's visit, the two sides had agreed to discuss the elevation of the bilateral relationship to the level of a Privileged Partnership. We discussed today some of the steps we could take to achieve this goal. In our view, this would require an enhancement of the frequency, as well as the quality of our interaction in areas such as economic and commercial cooperation, scientific ties, educational exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

5. I informed the Federal Council that India's overriding priority is to achieve rapid, sustainable and inclusive development over the coming decades. This led to discussions about the many opportunities for win-win partnerships that the complementary strengths of our economies offer. For example, Switzerland is a world leader in many areas which are important for our development, such as clean technology, renewable energy, energy efficiency and urban waste collection. On the other hand, India has emerged as a global Research and Development hub, thanks to its pool of scientific and technical manpower. It is steadily gaining recognition for its high quality, cost-effective manufacturing facilities. Thus partnering with India can help Swiss companies retain their competitive edge, in the Indian market as well as globally.

6. The two sides were happy to note that 2011 has been a year of high visibility for India in Switzerland. It was the 'guest' country at BASELWorld. It was the 'guest of honour' at the recently concluded Geneva Festival and the 'focus' country at Locarno Film Festival. Such events reinforce the people-to-people contacts in our relations and must be encouraged.

7. In our discussions, we touched on economic, financial and fiscal cooperation between India and Switzerland. We noted that the Amending Protocol to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement would provide a framework for exchange of tax-related information of importance to either side, when it enters into force. A Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Dialogue was also signed, which would provide a useful forum for exchange of views on financial and macro-economic issues.

8. A business delegation from India has accompanied me to explore opportunities for commercial and economic collaboration with Swiss partners and energize this important aspect of our relationship. I look forward to participating along with President Micheline Calmy-Rey in the Business Forum tomorrow, to urge them to increase bilateral economic interaction and to learn from the captains of industry from both sides, what more we can do to encourage them.

9. Another important event tomorrow that I look forward to is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Lausanne to establish the 'Tagore Chair on Indian Studies' which, I hope, would help bring together scholars as well as students from both countries.

10. India views Switzerland as an important partner in all international fora. Therefore, we discussed the important issue of the reform of the United Nations, including the expansion of the Security Council. India profoundly believes that unless the Security Council is restructured to reflect the contemporary realities, its ability to react effectively to the many emerging collective security challenges would be hampered.

11. We also discussed some international issues of common interest and concern. Among the areas touched upon was international terrorism which poses a serious threat to world peace and security. Open, tolerant, democratic societies like ours are particularly vulnerable. The terrorist attacks in Mumbai and more recently in Delhi, remind us that we must resolve to work jointly to eliminate this scourge.

12. Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, let me conclude by saying that today's discussions have further consolidated our historical relationship. Moreover, they have contributed towards making it a dynamic and multifaceted privileged partnership, which has the potential to enhance the prosperity and security, not only of our two peoples but in the world.

Thank you.