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Building on its close relations with the Western Balkans and commitment to European security and stability, Switzerland is pursuing its political dialogue in the region: from 18 to 20 February, the head of the FDFA, Ignazio Cassis, will travel to Slovenia and then to Bosnia and Herzegovina for an official visit. Talks will focus on bilateral cooperation, European security, cultural diversity, and dialogue as factors for social cohesion and the strengthening of democratic institutions. The visit also takes place within the framework of Switzerland's role within the OSCE, that the head of the FDFA is chairing in 2026.

With an appeal to fight antisemitism, hatred and discrimination, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, opened the OSCE conference on ‘Combating anti-Semitism: addressing challenges of intolerance and discrimination’ on 9 February 2026. The two-day conference is taking place in St Gallen and is the first of several international conferences to be held within the framework of Switzerland's 2026 OSCE chairpersonship.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis and OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow today. This was the first visit by an OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to the Russian Federation since February 24, 2022.

In his role as OSCE chairman-in-office, Ignazio Cassis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on 2 February 2026.

The head of the FDFA, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, will be in Vienna on 15 January 2026 to officially open Switzerland's chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In his capacity as chairman-in-office, Mr Cassis will present the focus, programme and special representatives of the Swiss chairpersonship. He will also meet with Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, among others.

With less than a month to go before it assumes the chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Switzerland is setting out the programme and priorities that will guide its actions in 2026. The aim will be to contribute to European security and the strengthening of inclusive multilateralism, in line with the Swiss tradition of neutrality, dialogue promotion and conflict prevention. International conferences hosted in Switzerland will also take place during its year in office, offering opportunities for dialogue on the major challenges of our time.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will be in Vienna on 3-4 December 2025 to represent Switzerland at the annual Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the European security architecture, particularly the war in Ukraine. Switzerland, which will assume the OSCE chairpersonship in 2026, will reaffirm its priorities at the meeting.

The head of the FDFA, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, will be in Vienna from 17 to 18 September 2025. During his visit, he will present Switzerland's priorities for its 2026 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chairpersonship to the OSCE Permanent Council. Mr Cassis will also meet with the Austrian minister for Europe, integration and family, Ms Claudia Plakolm.

The OSCE participating states have approved by consensus Switzerland's candidacy for the chairmanship of the organisation in 2026, thereby adopting another important institutional decision for the OSCE.