New York

23 September 2014

Readout of Secretary-General's meeting with H.E. Mr. Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation

Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation.

During the meeting, they discussed the critical cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which the Swiss President is the current Chair-in-Office. This important cooperation was particularly discussed in the context of the crisis in Ukraine.

The Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for Switzerland’s leadership on the issue of mediation and conflict prevention as they discussed the importance of the United Nation’s special political missions in efforts to help countries step back from the brink of violence and build a sustainable peace. The Secretary-General thanked Switzerland for its support for humanitarian operations in Syria and Iraq.