External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin during the latter’s three-day State visit to India, underscoring the growing momentum in India-Switzerland relations and the expanding opportunities emerging from the India-European Free Trade Association Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

Following the meeting, Jaishankar said he appreciated President Parmelin’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties and expressed confidence that the Swiss leader’s discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would further strengthen cooperation across a broad spectrum of sectors.

The diplomatic engagement comes at a significant moment for India and the European Free Trade Association, comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as both sides mark the first anniversary of TEPA’s entry into force on 1 October 2025.

President Parmelin described his visit as an important milestone in advancing the long-standing partnership between India and Switzerland. Speaking after receiving a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said the visit highlighted the importance both nations attach to their relationship and provided an opportunity to shape the future of bilateral cooperation.

Welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Swiss leader emphasised that India-Switzerland ties are founded on shared democratic values, trust and mutual respect.

He noted that the relationship has evolved into a broad partnership spanning politics, trade, investment, technology, innovation and people-to-people exchanges. Parmelin said his visit would help deepen and strengthen cooperation while also allowing both sides to exchange views on major bilateral and global issues.

A key focus of the visit is the India-EFTA TEPA, which was signed on 10 March 2024 and became operational on 1 October 2025. The agreement is regarded as one of India’s most significant trade arrangements with developed European economies and is designed to enhance trade, investment and economic collaboration between the partners.

President Parmelin said the anniversary of TEPA offered an opportunity not only to celebrate the progress achieved so far but also to chart the next phase of cooperation between India and the EFTA countries.

The Swiss President arrived in India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi and is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior government officials and business leaders. His visit is aimed at expanding collaboration in trade, investment, science, technology, innovation and workforce mobility.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this is Parmelin’s first State visit to India and his second trip to the country in 2026, having previously travelled to New Delhi in February to participate in the AI Impact Summit.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi and President Parmelin are scheduled to hold comprehensive bilateral talks covering trade, investment, science, technology, innovation, mobility, cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties. Discussions will also address regional developments, global challenges and multilateral cooperation.

President Parmelin is also expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host a State banquet in his honour.

An important highlight of the visit will be his participation in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on 7 October. The summit is expected to review progress under TEPA and explore fresh opportunities for expanding commercial links, investment flows and industrial partnerships between India and the EFTA bloc.

The trade agreement carries additional strategic significance because it includes a long-term EFTA commitment to facilitate investments worth nearly ₹8.4 lakh crore in India over 15 years and support the creation of one million direct jobs, making it one of the most ambitious economic partnership frameworks negotiated by India with a European grouping.

Among the four EFTA member nations, Switzerland remains India’s largest trade and investment partner, reflecting the central role it plays in the broader India-EFTA economic relationship.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit reflects the steady momentum in bilateral ties and is expected to deepen cooperation in both traditional and emerging sectors of mutual interest.

The visit also continues a pattern of sustained high-level engagement between the two countries. The most recent State visit by an Indian President to Switzerland took place in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi visited the country in 2016 and again in 2018.

With TEPA entering its second year of implementation and both sides seeking to expand collaboration in advanced technology, innovation, manufacturing, investment and skills mobility, President Parmelin’s visit is being viewed as an important step towards strengthening one of India’s most significant partnerships in Europe.

ANI