By Amna Al-Shemmeri (report) KUWAIT, Feb 1 (KUNA) -- President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, begins an official visit to Kuwait Sunday aimed at strengthening nearly 60 years of bilateral relations and opening broader horizons for joint cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
Bilateral relations between the State of Kuwait and the Swiss Confederation are considered a successful model of diplomatic relations between countries, as the leadership in both nations is keen to consolidate these ties and coordinate cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Relations began on June 16, 1966, with the opening of a Swiss consulate in Kuwait City. In the same year, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was accredited as Consul General of the State of Kuwait to the Swiss Confederation in Geneva, becoming the first to establish a Kuwaiti diplomatic mission in Switzerland.
At that time, the Swiss government assigned its ambassador to Lebanon as a non-resident ambassador to the State of Kuwait. One year later, an honorary consulate of the Swiss Confederation was opened in Kuwait, and the late Murad Yousuf Behbehani was appointed Honorary Consul of Switzerland.
Kuwait was the second Gulf country to establish relations with the Swiss Confederation. Switzerland opened its embassy in Kuwait in 1975, while Kuwait opened its embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, in 2006.
On October 25, 2025, the new headquarters of the Swiss Embassy in Kuwait was inaugurated in the Qadsiya area, with the attendance of His Highness Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Sabah, Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis, Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya and Swiss Ambassador Tiziano Balmelli.
Kuwait recalls Switzerlandآ’s stance during the Iraqi invasion and occupation in 1990-91, when Switzerland adopted a principled position in support of Kuwait, allowed Kuwaiti students to enroll in its schools, showed solidarity with the suffering of the Kuwaiti people, and played an effective role in addressing the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In recent years, bilateral relations have witnessed notable development, like through mutual visits by senior officials.
The most recent was a meeting between His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and former President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meetings in New York in September 2024, coupled with rounds of political consultations to enhance dialogue and coordination on various regional and international issues.
In the field of bilateral cooperation, the two countries have signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding.
In October 1998, an agreement to encourage and protect investments was signed followed, in 1999, by an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation, which was amended by a protocol signed in November 2019 to keep pace with international developments in double taxation avoidance agreements.
In March 2016, the two countries signed an agreement exempting holders of diplomatic and special passports from entry visas. In August of the same year, an MoU was signed within the framework of international development cooperation, followed in November 2016 by an agreement to hold political and security consultations.
On May 25, 2025, an MoU on development cooperation was signed between the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Bilateral economic relations continue to develop, with the volume of investments by Kuwaitآ’s sovereign wealth fund in Switzerland exceeding USD 15 billion, reflecting Kuwaitآ’s strong confidence in Switzerlandآ’s distinguished investment environment, supported by a solid legal framework and attractive economic incentives for foreign investors.
Switzerland is one of Kuwaitآ’s main trading partners, with total trade volume reaching USD 783 million in 2021. Kuwait also offers several incentives to foreign investors, including 100 percent foreign ownership and a tax exemption for a period of 10 years.
The beginning of private sector trade relations between the two countries dates back to the early 1930s, when several Swiss commercial agencies entered the Kuwaiti market. These relations were further strengthened in 2023 with the launch of the Swiss-Kuwaiti Business Platform. (end) Ash.eng