Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis to attend OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna
Bern, 01.12.2025 — 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.
At the invitation of the Finnish foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, in her capacity as current OSCE chairperson-in-office, representatives of all 57 OSCE participating states and the OSCE's 11 partners for cooperation will meet in Vienna on 4 and 5 December 2025. The Ministerial Council comprises the foreign ministers of all OSCE participating states and is the organisation's central decision-making and governing body. This year, the Council will examine and discuss the security situation in the OSCE area, in particular the war in Ukraine and the impact this is having on European security.
Mr Cassis, who is next in line as OSCE chairperson-in-office, will also reiterate the five priorities of Switzerland's upcoming term of office. In the face of war in Europe, Switzerland remains committed to a just peace in Ukraine based on international law and the Helsinki principles. It will continue to foster inclusive multilateral diplomacy and security dialogue between all stakeholders. It will promote people-centred governance of new technologies by linking science and diplomacy. It will also focus on strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights, in particular through missions and election observation. In addition, it will work to maintain the OSCE's ability to act and to secure funding for its instruments.
In 2026, Switzerland will chair the OSCE for the third time and host the annual Ministerial Council meeting, which it proposes to hold in Lugano.
News platform: Switzerland to assume OSCE chairpersonship in 2026
Swiss chairpersonship of the OSCE for 2026