Newly appointed Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard on Wednesday said she would work to further strengthen and expand the bilateral ties. She presented her credentials to President Md. Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on the same day. Humanitarian assistance and development cooperation were the cornerstones of the bilateral ties in the early days, said the Swiss Embassy in Dhaka. While they remain a priority, the two countries are also increasingly focusing on expanding multilateral cooperation as well as trade and investment, which have grown rapidly in recent years, it said. Ambassador Chuard said the two countries have been enjoying excellent relations in a wide range of areas over the last 48 years, and have stood by each other also during difficult times. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Switzerland has committed over 8 million Swiss Francs (or Tk 70 crore) to help Bangladesh overcome and recover from this unprecedented crisis, said the Swiss Embassy in Dhaka. Switzerland will also continue to work in partnership and solidarity with the government and people of Bangladesh to provide shelter, protection and assistance to the Rohingya refugees, and to constructively engage on a wide array of topics of mutual interest, including democratic governance and human rights, it said. Prior to her arrival in Bangladesh, Ambassador Chuard was the Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division (Humanitarian Aid) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. She joined the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 2005 and served among other positions as the Deputy Head of the Human Rights Section in Berne, and as Political Coordinator at the Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York. Switzerland and Bangladesh nurture good and longstanding relations based on solidarity, respect and partnership, said the Embassy.
