Your Excellency, Mr. President,
Delegates from both countries,
Friends from media,

Namaskar!

I am very happy to warmly welcome the President of Switzerland to India.

First of all, I appreciate his commitment to India-Switzerland relations. In October last year, with his personal support, we implemented a historic Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. This is India’s first FTA with any economic bloc in Europe.

It is also an ambitious blueprint for investment, innovation, jobs, and shared prosperity. Through this, we aim to achieve the targets of $100 billion in investment in India and 1 million direct jobs over the next 15 years.

Friends,

The friendship between India and Switzerland goes back centuries. In the 19th century, Swami Vivekananda saw a glimpse of the Himalayas in the Swiss Alps. Mahatma Gandhi also spent time in Switzerland and interacted with its people. The memories of these historic visits continue to resonate in our friendship even today.

Today, innovation, infrastructure, and advanced technology are strong pillars of our partnership. And through today’s summit, we are going to give our partnership a new momentum and take it to new heights.

Friends,

We have taken several important decisions to increase market access for Indian exports in Switzerland and further facilitate investment between the two countries.

This will help increase exports of Indian agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and engineering goods to Switzerland. At the same time, we will attract new Swiss investments into key sectors in India, such as biotechnology, life sciences, banking, insurance, food processing, and sustainability. Through these initiatives, we will work together to develop trusted supply chains and reliable solutions for the world.

Friends,

Today, we identified new opportunities for cooperation in military exchanges and defence production. We also agreed to further deepen cooperation in nuclear energy.

The Varanasi ropeway, Jewar Airport in Noida, and railway and tunnelling projects in mountainous areas are shining examples of our infrastructure cooperation. To further strengthen this cooperation, today we signed an agreement on transport, mobility, and infrastructure.

We invite Swiss infrastructure companies to invest in India at a large scale and participate in capacity building, design, and manufacturing.

Friends,

Science and technology cooperation is also a strong pillar of our partnership. I am very pleased that we will soon launch new joint research projects in priority areas such as health, clean energy, and space. We also welcome the agreement with the University of Zurich to build the capacity of India’s science start-ups.

Given the growing popularity of Yoga and Ayurveda in Switzerland, we also had a meaningful discussion today on deepening cooperation in these areas.

Friends,

People-to-people ties are the greatest strength of our partnership. The Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and the Young Professionals Agreement signed today will open up many new opportunities in Switzerland for Indian students, researchers, professionals, and young people.

Friends,

Both India and Switzerland believe in democratic values, the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy. We will continue to work together for global peace and stability.

Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, India has consistently supported every meaningful effort towards peace.

We also agree that reforms in global institutions are essential to address the growing global challenges.

Friends,

I am grateful to the President of Switzerland for visiting India with a large business delegation. On October 7, in his presence, we will host the “Prosperity Summit” with India-EFTA business leaders. This summit will serve as an important platform to turn the promise of our trade and investment partnership into concrete outcomes. I also extend my very best wishes to all the business leaders participating in this summit.

Your Excellency,

In February this year, India hosted the world’s largest AI Summit. Next year, Switzerland will take this journey forward through the “Geneva AI Summit.” I extend my best wishes to Switzerland for the success of the Geneva AI Summit. I am confident that together, we will continue to work towards making AI responsible, inclusive, and human-centric.

Once again, thank you very much for your visit to India and for being a strong supporter of India-Switzerland relations.

DISCLAIMER -This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister's remarks. Original remarks were delivered in Hindi.

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MJPS/SS/ST