Swiss president begins visit to Russia to boost cooperation.

  
    GENEVA, July 12 (Itar-Tass) - Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey
begins on Tuesday her two-day visit to Moscow to discuss stronger
cooperation with Russia in trade, finance, investments and energy.
    "The talks (with President Dmitry Medvedev) will focus on a range of
bilateral and international issues," Calmy-Rey said in a written interview
with Itar-Tass.
    The two countries' presidents will meet on July 13 to discuss "future
development of Swiss-Russian relations, especially those in finance,
investments, trade, technologies and energy."
    "Taking into account a vast potential for cooperation between our
countries I am confident we can considerably strengthen and give a fresh
impetus to our relations," she said.
    Calmy-Rey highlighted that since the two countries signed the
memorandum of bilateral cooperation in 2007, the relations in political,
economic, scientific and cultural sectors between Russia and Switzerland
have significantly strengthened.
    "Regular high-level contacts as well as dozens of bilateral
consultations on different aspects prove this," she said.
    On June 15, Calmy-Rey met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
in Geneva.
    The Swiss president noted that among other issues at the talks with
her Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will be Switzerland's mediation in
Russian-Georgian relations as well as Russia's accession to the World
Trade Organization.
    According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Calmy-Rey will be accompanied
by Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, who heads a large business
delegation and has been staying in Russia since July 10.
    According to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, in 2010
Switzerland's import from Russia increased by 41 percent to 1 billion
Swiss francs (1.18 billion dollars) and export - by 26 percent to 2.6
billion Swiss francs (3.08 billion dollars). Switzerland's accrued
investments in Russia's economy reached 6.2 billion Swiss francs (7.35
billion dollars) and Russia's investments in Switzerland's economy - 4
billion Swiss francs (4.74 billion dollars).