President Guy Parmelin will head a high-level economic delegation to Belgrade and Skopje from 28–29 April, the Federal Council announced on Friday. The trip marks the 110th anniversary of Swiss-Serbian relations and the first-ever presidential visit to North Macedonia, underscoring the Western Balkans’ rising importance for Swiss trade and diaspora policy. In Serbia, Parmelin will meet President Aleksandar Vučić to inaugurate a new CHF 120 million cooperation programme for 2026-29 that targets digital innovation, climate-resilient urban development and job creation. SECO officials travelling with the delegation are expected to sign an innovation-funding agreement that will give Serbian tech start-ups easier access to Swiss incubators and researcher visas. Swiss companies already employ more than 13,000 people in Serbia—largely in med-tech, machinery and shared-services centres. They hope the visit will accelerate double-taxation negotiations and expand Serbia’s participation in Swiss-backed vocational-training projects, which create a pipeline of locally trained talent eligible for intra-company transfers to Switzerland under the Western Balkans quota. The Skopje leg will spotlight the 100,000-strong North Macedonian diaspora living in Switzerland. Officials will unveil the new Swiss Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia and discuss expanding direct air links and air-rail connectivity aimed at business travellers. For mobility managers, the takeaway is clear: political momentum is building for smoother corporate travel and skills-exchange frameworks with both Western Balkan states.
Source: Swiss Federal Council
