His Excellency Dr. Leslie Satruken Ramsammy officially presented his Letters of Credence to Her Excellency Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, formally accrediting him as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the Swiss Confederation on Tuesday. The ceremony took place at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern, Switzerland.
Following the formal presentation, Ambassador Ramsammy had a private audience with President Amherd. During the meeting, Ambassador Ramsammy briefed the Swiss President on the ongoing Guyana-Venezuela Border Controversy, highlighting that the last significant agreement on the matter was signed in Geneva in 1966. This agreement laid out the methods for resolving the dispute, including resorting to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a process Guyana initiated in 2018.
In response, President Amherd acknowledged the importance of a smooth resolution to the dispute, noting that both Switzerland and Guyana currently serve as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Guyana were first established on May 24, 1977. Since then, the two countries have concluded several agreements, including the reciprocal waiver of visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport holders, extradition agreements, and an agreement on the protection of investments. Switzerland’s embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, represents Swiss interests in Guyana.
