Thank you Madam President of the Commission,

Ladies and gentlemen, like the President of the Commission,

I'd like to say a few introductory words about the dramatic and serious situation in the Middle East.

Switzerland is extremely concerned by the escalation ongoing in the Gulf and the Middle East,

and we call on all parties to protect civilians

and to protect infrastructures and to return as soon as possible to diplomacy. I've also been in touch

last night I was in touch with certain countries of the region which I've visited recently, and I will be having further contacts this afternoon. Naturally, as always, Switzerland is always available,

if need be, to participate and help the parties if they wish to achieve de-escalation.

To return to today's point,

this is an important juncture in bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU.

We are going to sign the agreements aimed at stabilizing and developing our relations. On the 10th of November, as was recalled by Madam President,

I had already signed on behalf of the Federal Council an agreement on the participation of Switzerland in EU programs with Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva in Bern.

Today,

other agreements of the Switzerland EU package are wrapping up a long process of a long work done by our respective teams reflecting our shared interests.

On behalf of the Federal Council, I would like to thank, as you yourself have done.

Madam President, the negotiators, Patrick Fransen and the European Union, Richard Szostak and their teams and the Swiss negotiating team,

as you know, This is not the end of the process today.

The internal implementation laws will soon be submitted to our national Parliament as part of the EU Switzerland package.

After a parliamentary debate, there will probably be a popular referendum.

This vote in the opinion of this package is balanced in the opinion of the Federal Council and is mutually advantageous.

It is seen as a motor of prosperity, jobs, and stability.

It benefits our citizens, our economies, and society overall.

It offers enterprises legal certainty and predictability, which is necessary to.

If they are to participate smoothly and on an equal footing in our specific respective markets in specific sectors,

it extend the agreements extend our cooperation to other areas of shared interest such as health,

research, and space, and on a more general level, the agreements.

To competitiveness, the competitiveness of Europe over the last few years,

Switzerland and the European Union have managed to re-establish a trust-based relation by expressing their determination to resolve outstanding issues while taking account of the specificities of each side.

This positive state of mind was essential in bringing us to where we are today.

Emboldened by this rediscovered mutual trust and aware of the diversity of our interests and the perspectives for the future opened by the new agreements,

we must be able to open to discussion of all questions which might arise between us and to find solutions to them.

On the subject of economic security in Europe, it is essential for the important partners such as Switzerland and the European Union,

whose economies and value chains are closely interconnected.

It's essential for them to reinforce their relations.

We think therefore Switzerland must be an integral part of any efforts to reinforce the competitiveness and resilience of Europe.

The stabilization of our relations signifies a strengthening of our respective room for maneuver in a world context,

a world environment which has become even more unpredictable.

The geopolitical upheavals, the The tensions affecting directly the European continent, the closing off to the outside world of certain countries,

and the use of force by certain other countries,

as well as changes in world trade relations clearly demonstrate that we need to,

we need a solid basis. We need to continue cooperating.

By signing these agreements, the Federal Council reaffirms its attachment to the bilateral model which has proven its usefulness.

The bilateral channel has helped make us more resilient in the face of the political,

economic, and security challenges which we are confronted.