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Swiss president heads for damage-control EU summit

Europe Materials 22 April 2021 15:11 (UTC +04:00)
Swiss president heads for damage-control EU summit

Swiss President Guy Parmelin heads to Brussels on Friday for a summit with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over a stalled treaty that threatens to put ties between Switzerland and its biggest trading partner into a deep freeze, Trend reports with reference to Reuters.

Many Swiss business leaders who are keen on continued smooth access to the EU market want a treaty, but political resistance to the agreement gives Parmelin little leeway to clinch a deal after years of foot-dragging in Bern.

That could leave Parmelin, a member of the eurosceptic Swiss People's Party, the biggest in parliament, in damage-control mode when he meets von der Leyen, who has urged Bern finally to embrace the draft accord negotiated in 2018.

The Swiss cabinet has said it wants clarifications on some open points before endorsing the pact, and officials in Brussels want concrete suggestions from Parmelin, one source familiar with the talks said.

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