Official speech by President Guy Parmelin on the occasion of the state visit by President Karol Nawrocki of the Republic of Poland
Berne, 27.05.2026 — Check against delivery
Mr President
Mrs Nawrocka
Excellencies
Fellow members of the Federal Council
Ladies and gentlemen
Mr President, it is a great pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to Switzerland.
Hardly any other European country has a history as eventful as Poland’s. And at almost every stage of its modern history, close ties with Switzerland have emerged. These historic links are still visible today – in places such as the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, the Kościuszko Museum in Solothurn and the Paderewski Museum in Morges.
Mr President, as a historian, you know that the bond between our countries was further strengthened by the nearly 13,000 Polish soldiers interned in Switzerland during the Second World War. They left a lasting legacy: draining marshes, building roads and reopening coal mines. Over 400 went on to graduate from Swiss universities. This shared history – marked by solidarity and mutual respect – remains greatly valued in Switzerland to this day.
But we do not need to look far into the past to see how close our countries are. In every decade since the political changes of 1989, a Polish president has paid a state visit to Switzerland. This clearly shows the strength of our relationship, as Switzerland hosts only one European state visit each year.
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Mr President
Excellencies
It’s been fourteen years since the last Polish state visit to Switzerland. These have been years of profound change, marked by rapid technological progress, as well as geopolitical upheavals, a global pandemic and new wars.
Against this backdrop, Poland’s development is remarkable. Today, it is one of the economic drivers of Europe, with particular strengths in forward-looking sectors such as IT, fintech and artificial intelligence. At the same time, new fields are emerging – from space research to quantum technologies. And Poland’s cultural influence, in literature, film and contemporary art, is equally impressive.
What the people of Poland have achieved together deserves our full respect. During this period of economic and social growth in Poland, relations between our two countries have continued to deepen across all areas of bilateral cooperation.
Economically, Poland is now Switzerland’s most important trading partner in Central Europe. Swiss companies are the tenth largest foreign investors in Poland. Our enlargement contribution, and our second contribution to selected EU member states, have also deepened our cooperation.
Concrete examples can be seen at the local level. More than a dozen medium-sized Polish towns are currently receiving support in areas such as economic development, environmental and climate protection, and health and social services. This cooperation is based on partnership, mutual trust and the exchange of knowledge, and both sides benefit. Because, when infrastructure improves in a Polish city, the entire regional economy benefits, including the Swiss companies that operate there. The same is true of our cooperation in applied research, which enables talented specialists from both countries to work together, drive innovation and carry out projects.
We also see great potential in science and research. Around a year ago, in Poznań, I signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in research, education and innovation. I am convinced that we can achieve much more together in this regard.
At the same time, we must protect what we have achieved. This is the task of security policy. The situation in Europe has deteriorated in ways that only the most pessimistic observers might have imagined during the last Polish state visit in 2012. Due to its geographical position, Poland is directly exposed to these challenges – and at the same time well prepared to meet them.
It is therefore only natural that our cooperation has also intensified in this area. Our close political dialogue allows us to exchange views on the risks we face and how best to address them. This is reflected in concrete cooperation – in cyber defence, military training, joint exercises and the exchange of expertise. Recently, Switzerland and Poland also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in cyberspace.
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Mr President
Excellencies
There are no boundaries in cyberspace, unlike geography. And although Switzerland and Poland have no common border, we have been closely connected for a long time. Today, our relations are excellent. And at a time when one crisis follows another, I see a bright future full of opportunities for Swiss-Polish relations.
Mr President, Mrs Nawrocka, the entire Federal Council is delighted to have you here. We look forward to today’s discussions and even closer ties between our two countries.