Abu Dhabi, Sept. 30th, 2010 (WAM) By Jamal Al Majaida -- Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart, Ambassador of Switzerland has said that United Arab Emirates and Switzerland have developed very successful traditions of mutual understanding and constructive cooperation and we support the initiative to launch an "Emirati Swiss Friendship Events" in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this November.
The bilateral relations between Switzerland and the UAE are excellent and strong and have been strengthened as well and very much by the visit of Hans-Rudolf Merz, Swiss President, to the UAE in 2009. "I believe that the editors and journalists from both countries should have an important role in the "Emirati Swiss Friendship Events" in November 2010 and from there we have to develop concrete projects to work together (for example in creating workshops for journalists or in establishing a magazine with contributions from Swiss and UAE journalists)", he said in an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM). On the occasion of choosing United Arab Emirates as the guest of honour of Geneva Festival of Communication 2010 this year, the ambassador said: " Mabruk! In the context of strengthening the bilateral relations between Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, Geneva invited the UAE as the guest of honour of the Geneva Festival of Communication 2010 ("F te de la Communication 2010"). As an international city, Geneva is in the position of enjoying a close relationship also with the Gulf countries. This year, the Geneva Festival of Communication, which brings together all media in Switzerland, the international diplomatic community in Geneva as well as the representatives of the Geneva authorities, coincides with the inauguration of a new conference room which is capable of accommodating the Swiss and international media. On this occasion Geneva is particularly honoured to warmly welcome the UAE as guest of honour and to welcome a high-ranking delegation from the UAE". To a question on the implications of this honour for the UAE, Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart said: "The interest of the UAE in the media and new information technologies is well known. In 2002 the International Association of Press Clubs was established in Dubai where its permanent secretariat is located. In the UAE many forums on the media are regularly held. It is therefore important that the exchange between Switzerland and the UAE in these areas can be enhanced, this time by the visit of an official UAE delegation with editors of UAE media in Geneva". On bilateral relations between UAE and Switzerland the Swiss ambassador was of the view: "The United Arab Emirates and Switzerland have developed very successful traditions of mutual understanding and constructive cooperation. The bilateral relations are excellent and strong and have been strengthened as well and very much by the visit of H.E. Hans-Rudolf Merz, Swiss President, to the UAE in 2009. A great number of high level visits from the UAE to Switzerland and from Switzerland to the UAE happened in the last years and this year. The collaboration had reached out also in non economic areas as political affairs, higher education and research, humanitarian policy and culture, media and sport". "But we feel that an institutional forum for those relations is missed. The relationship is also that of people, including the younger generation. The friendship is a personal one. For that reason we support the initiative to launch an "Emirati Swiss Friendship Events" on 7 and 8 November 2010 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai", he added. To another question the ambassador said: "I believe that the editors and journalists from both countries should have an important role in the "Emirati Swiss Friendship Events" in November 2010 and from there we have to develop concrete projects to work together (for example in creating workshops for journalists or in establishing a magazine with contributions from Swiss and UAE journalists)".Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
