Visit to Canada of His Excellency Ivo Bischofberger, President of the Council of States of the Swiss Confederation

On October 24, 2017, the Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, received in Parliament His Excellency Ivo Bischofberger, President of the Council of States of the Swiss Confederation. His Excellency was accompanied by his spouse, Ms. Margrith Bischofberger-Breu, and the Secretary of the Council of States and Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Martina Buol. The Ambassador of Switzerland to Canada, His Excellency Beat Nobs, and the Deputy Head of Mission, Ms. Anja Zobrist Rentenaar, also attended the meetings.

In Parliament, the President met with:

• The Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable A. Raynell Andreychuk., Senator, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade; and
• Mr. Scott Simms, M.P., Chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association.

The delegation also met with Members and officials from the House of Commons Administration at a luncheon hosted by Speaker Regan. The visit was an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations between the Parliaments of Switzerland and Canada and to discuss numerous topics, including free-trade, the current challenges posed by the refugee crisis in Europe, immigration policies and Brexit. During the meetings, the participants noted the similarities between our political systems, our shared values, particularly at the international level, and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. Discussions also focused on political structure, parliamentary procedure, the education system in both countries and Switzerland’s distinct foreign policy posture.