Swiss president to attend Belt and Road forum in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard in Bern, Switzerland, Jan. 16, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Rao Aimin]

Swiss President Doris Leuthard will attend the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing on May 14 and 15.

Jorg Gasser, head of Switzerland's state secretariat for international financial matters, made the announcement Friday at a press conference at the Embassy of Switzerland in China.

Gasser is visiting China along with a delegation headed by Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is a very important proposal," said Maurer, adding that Switzerland is willing to cooperate with China on project financing, risk control and insurance under the mechanism.

"Given the Belt and Road Initiative is a grand plan, we want to know China's consideration and plan before we find out a specific way to take part in the initiative, such as on large infrastructural projects and risk control in financial sectors," said Gasser.

Speaking highly of the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) that entered into force on July 1, 2014, Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques De Dardel said that he is optimistic about the "great potential" for cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Switzerland was the first European country to sign a bilateral FTA with China.