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Foreign Minister Cassis justifies his reserve and maintains a defensive stance following criticism regarding his actions

Swiss official Ignazio Cassis defends nation's customs negotiations position in a meeting with UK counterpart, exploring prospective bilateral accords.

Customs Officials Report: Swiss Foreign Minister, Cassis, remained guarded and retorted defensively...
Customs Officials Report: Swiss Foreign Minister, Cassis, remained guarded and retorted defensively when confronted about his reluctance to act on various global issues.

Foreign Minister Cassis justifies his reserve and maintains a defensive stance following criticism regarding his actions

The Locarno Film Festival, known for its traditional political meetings, played host to a significant conversation between Ignazio Cassis, the Swiss Foreign Minister, and David Lammy, his British counterpart. The meeting, which took place on Monday, was part of the Day of Diplomacy held at the festival [1][3].

While the details of the special agreements hinted at by the ministers remain confidential, Cassis acknowledged that the path to a customs agreement with the USA is longer than initially expected and involves discreet coordination [1]. He emphasised that negotiations require multiple rounds and that discussions are normally conducted with absolute discretion.

Cassis also defended his approach to the negotiations, stating that while they talk to "captains of industry," politics should not be confused with science fiction, implying complexities beyond simple public involvement [2]. The nature of the potential special agreements was not disclosed.

It is worth noting that the NZZ.ch website requires JavaScript for its important functions, and users are advised to adjust their settings to allow JavaScript on NZZ.ch to ensure optimal browsing [3].

Despite the secrecy surrounding the negotiations, both ministers attended the Locarno meeting on the fringes of the film festival. However, they did not publicly reveal specific terms or details of any special agreements during their encounter [1][3].

[1] Source: SwissInfo.ch [2] Source: SRF.ch [3] Source: NZZ.ch

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