Ignazio Cassis meets Finnish foreign minister in Bern
Bern, 22.10.2026 — During a working lunch, discussions between the head of the FDFA, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, and the Finnish minister for foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen, focused on bilateral relations between Switzerland and Finland, the security situation in Europe, as well as the war in Ukraine. The talks also touched on the OSCE, which Finland chaired in 2025 and which Switzerland is chairing this year.
The meeting took place as part of events organised to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Finland. Mr Cassis and Ms Valtonen paid tribute to the execllent ties between their countries. The two ministers highlighted the stable economic relations between Switzerland and Finland. Finland is one of Switzerland's main Nordic trading partners. As a country at the forefront of new technologies and digitalisation, Finland is an important partner for Switzerland in the fields of research and innovation. Both countries are seeking to strengthen their cooperation in this area. Switzerland and Finland are among the world's most innovative countries and are collaborating on 381 projects as part of the Horizon Europe programme.
OSCE chairmanship and the security situation in Europe
The two ministers discussed the latest efforts towards a ceasefire and the OSCE's potential role in the event of a negotiated settlement to Russia's war against Ukraine. Another topic was the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, which will take place in Lugano on 3–4 December 2026.
In light of the growing number of hybrid threats in Europe and the violations of the airspace of several European states, the ministers expressed their concern and discussed the European security architecture.