May 14-2026
Africa continues to play an important role in shaping the global agenda on peace and security, climate action, energy, and multilateral reform. Today’s exchange with Alexandre Fasel and African Ambassadors accredited to Switzerland reaffirmed the importance of partnerships built on trust, dialogue, and cooperation.
I had the privilege of participating in a working lunch hosted by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs together with African Ambassadors accredited to Switzerland.
The engagement provided an important platform for dialogue between the Swiss Government and African diplomatic missions on issues of mutual interest, cooperation, and shared development priorities.
Discussions highlighted Switzerland’s strategic interests in Africa, which span areas such as economic cooperation, peace and security, multilateral engagement, prosperity, democracy, migration, and sustainable development. It was emphasized that developments on the African continent have global implications, including for Switzerland, thereby reinforcing the importance of strong partnerships between Switzerland and African nations.
The African Ambassadors expressed appreciation to the Swiss Government, particularly for the development of the Africa Strategy 2025–2028, which outlines Switzerland’s vision for engagement with the continent. The strategy addresses critical issues such as climate change, drought, flooding, agricultural challenges, peace and security, prosperity, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability across Africa’s various subregions.
The meeting also created an opportunity for African representatives to openly share concerns, perspectives, and development priorities based on mutual respect and collaboration.
During my intervention, I emphasized the importance of education and encouraged African missions to take advantage of opportunities offered by leading Swiss institutions such as University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. I also highlighted Ghana’s policy direction of adding value to natural resources and encouraged investment in industries that support local value addition for export.
The event also offered valuable networking opportunities with fellow diplomats. I was particularly delighted to meet the Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations in Geneva, who surprisingly bore the Ghanaian name “Kwadwo,” reflecting the deep cultural and historical connections across our continent.
As part of strengthening African solidarity and cultural diplomacy, colleagues were also invited to participate in the upcoming Africa Day celebration on 26th May, where African culture, trade, fashion, cuisine, and artifacts will be showcased.
The engagement reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, partnership, and mutual respect in advancing Africa–Switzerland relations.