FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier on a working visit to Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia

BERN, Switzerland, October 2, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently on a working visit to the Horn of Africa. After an initial stop in Somalia he arrived today in Kenya, where a visit to a refugee camp is among the items on his agenda. He will conclude his tour of the region with talks in Ethiopia.

FDFA State Secretary Yves Rossier is currently undertaking a working visit to the Horn of Africa. His tour began in Somalia, stopping first in Mogadishu and then in Somaliland. His visit to this country, which is suffering the consequences of 20 years of civil war and frequent terrorist attacks, is above all an opportunity for Switzerland to demonstrate its full solidarity with the country as it rebuilds and to offer support in particular for the implementation of a federal model that Somalia wishes to establish.

This leg of the trip will be followed by a visit to Kenya for bilateral discussions. Several large Swiss companies are active in Kenya, which is the economic motor of the region. A visit to the Kakuma refugee camp, which is supported by Swiss Humanitarian Aid, is also on Mr Rossier's itinerary.

He will conclude his tour of the region in Ethiopia where he will have talks on questions concerning migration, the economy, research partnerships and other matters, in view of the potential offered by Ethiopia's flourishing economy. In Addis Ababa, the state secretary will also meet representatives of the Africa Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with which Switzerland cooperates closely in the areas of food security, migration, peace and security.