The Embassy in Berne is charged with the pursuit of Ghana’s bilateral relations with the Swiss Government as well as the Austrian Government. Ghana established formal diplomatic relations with Switzerland in 1957 with the opening of a consulate in Geneva with Mr. H.A.H.S Grant being its Head in 1962.
An Embassy was, however, established in Berne in 1966 with Mr. Richard Akwei as Ghana’s first Ambassador to Switzerland.
He was followed by Ambassadors K. B. Asante, Osei-Tutu, K. K. S. Dadzie, W. A. Wilson, S. E. Quarm, K. Amoo-Gottfried, B. G. Godwyll, A.Y. Aggrey-Orleans [Mrs.], Kobina Wudu, Fritz K. Poku, Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei, Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu, Mrs. Ellen Serwa Nee-Whang and currently Mr. Sammie Pesky Eddico .
Ghana’s relations with Switzerland date back to 1828 when Missionaries from Basel arrived in the Gold Coast, now Ghana, to carry out evangelical work, especially, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Missionaries pioneered the establishment of many schools in Ghana, including the first agricultural school in the country.
The Missionaries were credited to have made tremendous efforts in the development of cocoa as an export product of Ghana. They also established missionary hospital at Agogo. Swiss Trading concerns, which set up trading companies including Union Trading Company [UTC], followed the Missionaries.
Concurrent Accreditation to Austria.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Berne is also accredited to Vienna. Currently, it is the Austrian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, which is concurrently accredited to Ghana. Austria, however, has an Honorary Consulate in Ghana.
Ghana and Austria have had uninterrupted relations since 1964 when the Austrian Trade Mission was raised to the level of an Embassy and the Austrian Ambassador in Nigeria was accredited to Ghana