Our Swiss Connection
Ambassador Martin Dahinden
Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States
By Katia Hadjiyska, iF Magazine Contributing Reporter
/ EnCourage Group Owner
very important, but there is not only
investing from Switzerland into the
United States - there are also a lot of
investments of American companies
in Switzerland. For instance, Google’s
international headquarters, as well as
the European headquarters of Procter
& Gamble, are in Switzerland. There
is a lot of investment in information
and communication technology and
in biotechnology.
Katia: What are some big picture challenges facing Switzerland
today?
States and I think we should have a
close look at what happens, namely
how technology, economy, and culture develop. In my view this is the
challenge. We are in the midst of Europe, but not a member of the European Union and in some of the areas
we have difficult negotiations. I am
optimistic that we will find solutions
there. I consider the more fundamental questions above as more important for our future.
Katia: Tell us about your perspective on Switzerland’s neutrality in
terms of foreign policy.
Ambassador Dahinden: Switzerland’s neutrality has a very long
history. It is not something new. It
basically started in the Renaissance
and developed and made major steps
after the Napoleonic wars and in the
20th century. Neutrality is more than
a commitment taken out of international humanitarian law. It is a kind
of identity that is linked to our history. In Europe we are always a little
bit in-between major powers, particularly France and Germany. Part of
Ambassador Dahinden: I would
probably tell you slightly different
things than what you would hear
from people in Switzerland as I am
abroad. For me, the biggest challenge
for Switzerland is to find its own
place in an increasingly globalized
world, not only in terms of economy,
but also in terms of political relations.
I think we have a successful model
but we need to reinvent all the time
to cope with the challenges of the future. I also see the importance of my
role there because very often we see
that the groundbreaking technologies are often made in the United
iF Magazine | www.iFMagazine.net
47