John Culatto
SWITZERLAND’S ambassador to the United Kingdom called in at Number Six Convent Place to see Gibraltar leaders and get the latest on EU talks.
Ambassador Markus Leitner discussed ‘a number of issues of common interest’ with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo during his visit to the British overseas territory.
Switzerland and Gibraltar both have their own finance centres, a similarity that links their country as they are both in favour of attracting investment and banking regulations.
The visit came after Gibraltar’s leaders returned from the latest round of talks with the UK and Spain over an EU treaty.
Leitner was on the Rock to oversee the departure of a local representative.
“Back in Gibraltar to bid farewell to longstanding Swiss honorary consul Eleonora Gherardi and to introduce her successor Andreas Businger,” he tweeted.
“Thank you for your great support to the Swiss community in Gibraltar.”
Leitner added to the tweet by saying he had met Picardo, Financial Service Minister Albert Isola and Governor Sir David Steel on his stay.
He commented how they had spoken about ‘EU/Spain negotiations, financial sector developments and Gibraltar-UK relations’.
Picardo ‘took the opportunity to brief the Ambassador on the ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU’, the government said in a statement.
The Swiss embassy’s counsellor and consul general, Thomas Wagner, and Switzerland’s Honorary Consul in Gibraltar, Mr Andreas Businger accompanied the ambassador to the Rock.
Switzerland and Gibraltar have some economic interactions, primarily through trade and financial services.
The country set in the Alps has a well-established financial sector, and some Swiss companies have had business dealings with Gibraltar-based firms or used it as a jurisdiction for certain activities.
Like Switzerland, Gibraltar has developed its own financial services sector, particularly in areas such as offshore banking, insurance and online gaming.
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