The President of Switzerland is visiting Ireland in a first official visit in more than a decade. At the same time manuscripts by Irish monks are returning from Switzerland to Ireland for the first time in over 1,000 years.
Switzerland is one of Ireland’s top ten trading partners. According to the Swiss, trade volumes between the two countries reached €5.4 billion last year, “excluding gold bullion and other precious metals, coins, precious and semi-precious stones, as well as works of art and antiques”.
President Karin Keller-Sutter is due to attend the official opening of an exhibition at the National Museum in Dublin exploring the historic ties between Ireland and St Gallen during the early Medieval period.
She will hold talks with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ireland’s Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe.
According to the Swiss government, “discussions will centre on Swiss-Irish bilateral relations, European policy matters, the security situation in Europe amid the ongoing war against Ukraine, and transatlantic relations.”
Switzerland’s President, Karin Keller-Sutter, will also meet her Irish counterpart, President Michael D. Higgins.
It is the first time a Swiss president has visited Ireland since 2012.
“Relations between Switzerland and Ireland have traditionally been very good. The two nations engage actively in multilateral forums, sharing fundamental democratic values and a strong commitment to the rule of law. As neutral states, both countries advocate for a multilateral system founded on respect for international law and human rights. On the economic front, they are united in their support for open, rules-based global trade”, said the Swiss government ahead of the visit.
Some of the exhibits going on display at the National Museum in Dublin are back in Ireland for the first time in over 1,000 years.
The Swiss city of St Gallen grew out of the Abbey of St Gall, founded in the 8th century and on what it thought to be the site of the hermitage of the Irish missionary, Gallus.
The exhibition, ‘Words on the Wave: Ireland and St Gallen in Early Medieval Europe’ features artefacts and manuscripts from early Christian Irish missionaries.
Today, the main goods traded between Switzerland and Ireland are chemical products, pharmaceuticals and machinery.
Switzerland has traditionally had a high trade deficit with Ireland in goods, the Swiss government says.
“Trade in services is also a significant component of bilateral economic relations: in 2024, services worth CHF 3.6 billion [€3.8 billion] were exported from Switzerland to Ireland, while services worth CHF 3.9 billion [€4.1 billion] were imported from Ireland.”