On September 4, 2008, during the visit to Bern, the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. V.Khandogiy met with the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Mr. Michael Ambühl.

In the course of the conversation, the high officials of the foreign policy offices highly assessed the present state of the Ukrainian – Swiss relations and discussed the prospects of further bilateral cooperation.

Exchange of views took place on the current international situation in the world, in particular in the Caucasian region.

During the meeting, Mr. V.Khandogiy appealed to the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland to join to the countries which recognized the Holodomor of 1932 – 1933 as a genocide act against the Ukrainian people and asked to support other international initiatives of our state on this issue. He also invited representatives of the Confederation to take part in the International Forum for commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor. In this context, Mr. V.Khandogiy delivered a letter from the President of Ukraine V.Yushchenko addressed to the President of Switzerland Pascal Couchepin.