Swiss Foreign Ministry Calls Reports On Cancellation Of Parmelin-Macron Meeting Incorrect

Swiss Foreign Ministry Calls Reports on Cancellation of Parmelin-Macron Meeting Incorrect

A meeting between the Swiss and French presidents was planned for November, but messages about a cancellation of the visit are incorrect, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Pierre-Alain Eltschinger told Sputnik on Monday

GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2021) A meeting between the Swiss and French presidents was planned for November, but messages about a cancellation of the visit are incorrect, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Pierre-Alain Eltschinger told Sputnik on Monday.

On Sunday, Swiss media reported that French President Emmanuel Macron had called off the meeting with his Swiss counterpart, Guy Parmelin, over the fact that Bern had allegedly preferred a deal with the United States on the purchase of F-35 fighter jets over one for the French-made Rafale aircraft.

"We can confirm that the meeting with President Macron was scheduled for November. As long as the visit has not been finally agreed on yet, this is not a cancellation of the confirmed visit. It was also not a state visit, but just an official visit of the president, a so-called presidential visit," Eltschinger said.

The Swiss foreign ministry spokesman also stated that "contacts with neighboring countries are kept on different levels, mostly on the working level and via our embassies," adding that top diplomatic visits do not influence contacts between the nations.

Macron's office dismissed the reports as well on Sunday, saying the reasons mentioned had nothing to do with the reality.