Parliamentary Friendship Group visits Japan
Following an official invitation from the Japanese House of Representatives, nine members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Switzerland-Japan paid an official visit to Japan from 25 March to 1 April 2017.
The delegation included eight Members of the Swiss Parliament led by National Councilor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, president of the Friendship Group, and supported by the group’s secretary, SJCC Managing Director, Dominique Ursprung.
Overview Reports on the Official Visit:
The Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo, that coordinated the visit with the House of Representatives, published two articles on its webpage:
- First Official Visit of Switzerland-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group to Japan
- Member of the Swiss Parliament attended the Ambassador’s residence for a Mozart evening in tribute to Maestro Ernst Haefliger
Report by the Japanese House of Representatives:
Report by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCIJ):
Two events have also been covered by the magazine JAPANMARKT (in German): See PDF here below.
Finally, National Councilor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter presented her impressions from this first official visit to Japan to the members of the SJCC at the occasion of the 32nd Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2017 in Zurich.
Background:
The Japan-Switzerland Parliamentary League of Friendship from the Japanese House of Representatives exists already since 1988. Its counterpart in Switzerland was founded more recently, at the end of the anniversary year 2014, when 150 years of bilateral diplomatic relations were celebrated. Since 2014, the office of the SJCC also acts as secretariat of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Switzerland-Japan (スイス日本友好議員連盟), which includes 32 Members of the Federal Assembly. The first meetings ever of both groups took place on 20 September 2016, when a delegation of the Japanese House of Representatives visited Switzerland.
Report Japanmarkt Magazin (pdf)