‘The Swiss perspective on Brexit’ – dinner with His Excellency Alexandre Fasel, the Swiss Ambassador to the UK

Few countries are as closely bound the to the EU without being part of it as Switzerland. The relationship between Switzerland and the EU is governed by more than 20 main bilateral agreements and around 100 minor ones. At this dinner, Ambassador Fasel will discuss the Swiss perspective on Brexit; what the UK can learn from the Swiss experience; and the future of Anglo-Swiss trade and relations (Switzerland is the fifth largest European export market for the UK, which in turn is the third largest export market for Switzerland).

Alexandre Fasel took up his duties as Ambassador of Switzerland to the UK on 5 September 2017. Prior to that he was Ambassadeur en mission speciale after a spell as Deputy State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. From 2012 to 2016 he served as Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other International Organizations at Geneva. He also served as Special Representative of Switzerland to the Human Rights Council, as well as Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament. Alexandre Fasel is also a lawyer. He studied at the Universities of Fribourg and Oxford.