Switzerland to participate in G20 Finance Track in 2016
Bern, 02.12.2015 - Next year, Switzerland will take part in the G20 meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors. The Chinese authorities, who assumed the G20 presidency on 1 December 2015, have sent the Head of the Federal Department of Finance, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, an invitation. Switzerland will also participate actively in the corresponding working groups and preparatory meetings.
After its initial participation in 2013, Switzerland has again received an invitation to participate in the G20 Finance Track under the Chinese presidency. Today, Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf informed the President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga about the invitation, which she received from her Chinese counterpart, Lou Jiwei. Not only is this a recognition of Switzerland's position in the international financial system, it also reflects the close relations between China and Switzerland, which have been further fostered in recent years, particularly in the financial sphere.
"All of the most important decisions on economic cooperation between countries, the development of the international financial system and financial market regulation are taken in the G20. It is therefore important for Switzerland to be directly informed about the G20's work and to actively participate in it. We will constructively bring our expertise as a major financial centre to the table with the aim of helping to develop a stable and open international financial system. Such a financial system is a key condition for sustainable growth," said Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf.
The first technical meetings will be held in December 2015 and the first meeting of the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries will take place in February 2016.
Address for enquiries
Anne Césard, Communications, State Secretariat for International Financial Matters SIF
Tel. +41 58 462 62 91, anne.cesard@sif.admin.ch
Publisher
Federal Department of Finance
https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html