Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Tamal Bandyopadhyay
Berne, Nov 18: Watch your word: Forget what Big Brother United States has to say about the country's international status after the nuclear tests of May 11 and May 13; forget also what punitive measures a US-led clique of nations may have imposed on New Delhi. The punctilious Swiss--watch-makers to the world--think that the country is too huge a market to be ignored; taken lightly, much less.
And so you have Flavio Cotti--the president of the Swiss confederation and head of the federal department of foreign affairs--himself visiting the country on a four-day official visit, starting tomorrow. Cotti considers India "one of the most important strategic countries in the world".
The first head of a state to come calling after the series of nuclear blasts in May, Cotti will lead an impressive trade and business delegation over the weekend and focus on increasing economic relations between the two countries.
Although Switzerland has "regretted" the Pokhran blasts, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has stopped its aid to the central government after the May blasts (funding for 1998-99 was cut by Swiss franc 3 million), Cotti has refused to link Indo-Swiss trade relations to India's signing of the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT). "We would appreciate (it) if India signs the CTBT. It is our wish. But we will not put this as a precondition to our trade ties with India," Cotti said in a recent interview with Indian journalists in Berne.
During his visit Cotti will also kick off a "political dialogue" with prime minister Vajpayee on "world security". "This is, in fact, the first-ever official visit to India by any Swiss president. Until recently, there has been an unwritten rule that the president of the Swiss confederation should not leave the country neglecting his presidential activities. We consider India one of the most important strategic countries in the world," Cotti said.
Incidentally, the president of Swiss confederation will not visit Pakistan although it was scheduled earlier. Cotti, however, insists that visiting India and dropping Pakistan from his itinerary is not a political statement. "It's a question of time. I cannot visit Pakistan this time around for lack of time. Do not attribute anything to it," he said.
"India is the most important country in the world where we have the maximum number of collaborations. The objective of my visit is to explore opportunities in this area," Cotti said. The president of the Swiss confederation will lead an impressive trade and business delegation comprising Michael Garrett (executive vice-president, Nestle India), Christopher Atter (president, Sulzer International Group), Alexandre F Jetzer (member, board of directors, Novratis International), Alois Sonnenmoser (president and CEO, Asia Brown Boveri), Peter Spaelti (chairman, Winterthur) and Philippe Levey (chairman, Swiss office for trade promotion). "India is potentially the most important market in the world," Cotti said.
The total bilateral trade between Switzerland and India which had stood at Swiss franc 1033.2 million in fiscal 1996 went up marginally to Swiss franc 1041.8 million last year. While Swiss exports dipped by 11 per cent from Swiss franc 666.1 million in 1996 to Swiss franc 591 million in 1997, imports from India went up by 23 per cent during this period (from Swiss franc 367.1 million to Swiss franc 450.8 million).
Machinery accounts for 58.2 per cent of Swiss exports followed by chemicals and pharmaceuticals (19.4 per cent) while textiles and apparels dominate Swiss imports (39.4 per cent).
Switzerland ranks ninth in terms of value of actual inflows of FDI in India.
The Swiss president will interact with trade and business bodies like CII and others in Mumbai and Bangalore before proceeding to Delhi.
Besides Vajpayee, Cotti will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "I am also the foreign affairs minister of the country. It is a custom to meet eminent personalities of other political parties. I have also a spacial liking for Sonia Gandhi as both of us share the same mother tongue -- Italian," Cotti said. The last visit to India by a head of the Swiss federal department for foreign affairs was in 1991.
On being asked about Switzwerland's stance vis-a-vis the Pokhran tests, the Swiss president said: "You know that Switzerland has a very clear position... We are in favour of eliminating nuclear weapons. This is one of the issues which will be discussed with the Indian prime minister. We will continue this dialogue."
Cotti also hinted that the federal council in Switzerland may waive the ban on SDC aid to the Indian government. "There has been a small reduction... (of the SDC aid). We are ready to discuss the issue. We want to know the view of the Indian government," he said.
Cotti, however, reserved his comments on the BJP-led coalition government's performance. "I don't want to express my views on the Indian government. It is not desirable," he said.
On being asked about Switzerland's "neutral status", the president of the Swiss confederation admitted that there have been changes although the "central element of our neutrality" remains the same.
"For example, Switzerland did not belong to the European Council at the initial stages... And yet in 1991, we allowed warplanes to fly over Switzerland during the Gulf war. During the Balkan war we allowed the Nato troop to pass through our country to Yogoslavia. We participated in all sanctions dictated by the UN. There has been a gradual move."
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------