President Parmelin to travel to Serbia and North Macedonia
Berne, 24.04.2026 — President Guy Parmelin will travel to Serbia and North Macedonia next week. The visit to Belgrade on Tuesday, 28 April, following an invitation from Serbia to pay a state visit, will mark the 110th anniversary of bilateral relations between Switzerland and Serbia. The new cooperation programme will also be launched in Belgrade. The first-ever Swiss presidential visit to North Macedonia will take place on 29 April. This highlights the increasingly close ties between the two countries. The president will be accompanied on his visit by a high-level economic delegation.
The visit will begin with a meeting between President Parmelin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The main topics of discussion will be the close ties between Switzerland and Serbia – which are reflected, among other things, in the significant Serbian diaspora in Switzerland (around 130,000 people) – as well as the European integration process in the Western Balkans.
Bilateral relations between Switzerland and Serbia are very good. Furthermore, Serbia is Switzerland’s most important trading partner in the Western Balkans, a priority country for international cooperation, and is a member of the same constituency as Switzerland within the Bretton Woods institutions (the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The visit to Serbia will also provide an opportunity to highlight Switzerland’s commitment to human rights and democratic values.
Furthermore, the new cooperation programme for the years 2026 to 2029 will be launched during the visit. It focuses on democratic governance, economic development and employment, as well as climate change and sustainable urban development. There is a particular emphasis on innovation. In this context, an agreement on a bilateral innovation programme will be signed between the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Serbian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (NITRA). Mr Parmelin will also meet with Prime Minister Đuro Macut, pay a visit to the science and technology park supported by Switzerland, and meet with business leaders from both countries.
A milestone in bilateral relations with North Macedonia
At the start of the first Swiss presidential visit to North Macedonia, President Parmelin will be received by President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova on Wednesday, 29 April. Mr Parmelin will discuss bilateral relations, economic potential and the situation in the Western Balkans with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and members of the government. A meeting is also set to take place with the Speaker of Parliament, Afrim Gashi. The programme in Skopje will be complemented by a reception to mark the establishment of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia.
Bilateral relations between Switzerland and North Macedonia are very good. Key elements include the cooperation programme and the large North Macedonian diaspora in Switzerland (over 100,000 people). Economic exchanges offer further potential, particularly in the fields of digitalisation and technology.
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