Switzerland: The EU and Switzerland sign a Joint Declaration on Strengthened Cooperation on Foreign and Security Policy and a Framework Participation Agreement

Underpinned by shared interests and values in a rapidly changing geopolitical context, the EU and Switzerland aim to strengthen their relationship on foreign and security matters at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.

Today, 5 March 2026, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, signed a Joint Declaration on Strengthened Cooperation on Foreign and Security Policy and held a first political dialogue established by the declaration. They were joined by Federal Councillor and head of the Federal Department of Defence, Martin Pfister. The dialogue focused on bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and the EU, geopolitical developments, and cooperation in multilateral fora.

The High Representative and Federal Councillor Cassis also signed a Framework Participation Agreement (FPA) that will facilitate Swiss contributions to EU CSDP missions and operations. To date, Switzerland has been an ad-hoc contributor to several EU CSDP missions, e.g. EUFOR ALTHEA Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUCAP Sahel Mali, or EULEX Kosovo.

With the 5th of March marking 80 years since Winston Churchill's famous speech about "an iron curtain going down in Europe", and upon invitation by the University of Zurich, the High Representative also held a Churchill Lecture on 'A Rules-Based Global Order in an Era of Power Politics '