Saudi- Swiss Consulate marks National Day

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Swiss Consulate in Jeddah celebrated their National Day on Sept. 19 at the residence of Swiss Consul General Hans Stalder. This will likely be the last Swiss National Day celebration in Jeddah, as the Swiss government has decided to close down its consulate in Jeddah at the beginning of 2014. Stalder welcomed the guest of honor, Farid Azhari of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and noted that Swiss National day falls on Aug. 1 but that celebrations were postponed due to the vacations. "We are commemorating Swiss National Day with our strategic partners. I am aware of the meeting that took place between the GCC states and Switzerland two weeks ago in Geneva and the political discussions that took place in spring this year in Switzerland," he said. "The mere 5,000 km between the two countries does not stop us from aspiring to common goals while at the same time maintaining our autonomy and our culture. There are currently 700,000 Swiss nationals living outside of Switzerland," he said. "National Day is a time where we reflect on our values. I call upon Swiss nationals, Saudis or foreigners who are either representatives of Swiss companies or agents for Swiss products or services to be ambassadors of Switzerland in Saudi Arabia," he added. He thanked his wife Liza Stalder, his colleagues at the consulate and the Foreign Ministry in Jeddah who supported him during his tenure in the Kingdom. He also expressed gratitude to sponsor companies, including ABB, Nestlé, Schindler, Al-Bilad and Al-Ghazali.