OREANDA-NEWS. July 4, 2008. A meeting between Russian-Swiss cooperation coordinators, Vladimir Titov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Michael Ambuhl, State Secretary at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, took place in Moscow in the format of inter-foreign ministry consultation.

The sides noted the constructive, frank character of bilateral political dialogue, the growing economic, commercial, cultural, humanitarian, scientific, technological and legal cooperation and interaction in other practical areas, and outlined ways of solving the open questions existing here, including the preparation of a number of treaty documents. Taking into account the upcoming full accession of Switzerland to the Schengen regime on November 1, 2008, special attention was paid to completing the work on bilateral readmission and visa facilitation agreements, which are planned to be signed before the end of the current year.

Progress in the implementation of the Memorandum between the Russian MFA and the Swiss FDFA on the Promotion of Bilateral Cooperation was examined, and the schedule of inter-MFA consultation for the current year was specified.

An exchange of views took place on a number of international issues, including Kosovo settlement, the construction of Russian and Swiss relations with the European Union and the situation in certain conflict regions.