Bilateral meeting with H.E. Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor, Head of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland

Rome - The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met today with H.E. , Head of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, of Switzerland at FAO headquarters in Rome.

The Director-General welcomed Federal Councillor Cassis to FAO and thanked him for the strong Swiss support to FAO, as well as the active collaboration from Swiss representatives and experts, and conveyed his appreciation for Switzerland’s strong commitment to multilateralism. Furthermore, the Director-General recalled his recent visit to Switzerland where he witnessed innovative agrifood production, which could inform agrifood systems all over the world. 

H.E. Federal Councillor Cassis said that he was proud of Switzerland’s long history of engagement with the UN and FAO and was pleased for the opportunity to visit FAO for the first time, noting the important role of FAO in addressing the threats to global food security, especially in the wake of conflict.

The pair discussed the history of FAO, noting that the current global challenges remind us that food is a basic human right and is at the root of the work of the UN. The Director-General pointed to the need for more diverse food production and the need for more assistance to less developed regions to meet international standards for trade in agrifood.