Arnold KollerMr. President, Federal Councillors, ladies and gentlemen. May I thank you for your kind words and the very warm welcome you have given us. It does seem absolutely extraordinary that there has never been an official visit by a British Prime Minister to Switzerland before. But I am very glad to be the one to remedy that omission. And I am quite sure that there has never been a British Prime Minister who is such a great admirer of Switzerland and everything which she stands for as I am.
Switzerland is a country for which we in Britain have particularly strong feelings of admiration. For centuries our artists, our writers and our poets have come here. Our climbers did a great deal to open up the Alps, and the British helped to make skiing the very [end p1] popular sport it is today.
And of course our business links are very strong indeed. We sell more to Switzerland than we do to Japan: Switzerland invests more in Britain than either Japan or the Federal Republic of Germany. That is an indication of how important we are to each other. I always make a point of trying to meet your Ministers as well as your bankers and industrialists, and I find that our views are usually very close.
We admire, too, the way in which you run your affairs. Your commitment to strong defence of your country: your sound economic policies: the attention you pay to the environment: the way in which everything is kept so marvellously clean and tidy. [end p2]
We have had some very good talks today, and have found ourselves in full agreement on most subjects. We are as always very grateful for the unique role which Switzerland plays in the world, helping those who are caught up in political turmoil or in natural disasters in distant lands: looking after those who cannot help themselves: helping look after the interests of other Governments when, as sometimes happens, they have to break off diplomatic relations.
We also discussed how Switzerland is reviewing its relationships with the other countries of Europe, and in particular the future links between EFTA and the European Community, as well as your role in international financial [end p3] organisations. I said, and I repeat it this evening, that the decisions are for you to take. We hope that you will want to have closer relations with the European Community and an active role in the World Bank and IMF, because we need Switzerland's contribution, based on all that you have achieved here. But whatever you decide you can count on Britain's firm and lasting support, because for us Switzerland is a true friend, and we want that to continue.
May I ask you all to raise your glasses and drink a toast to the friendship between Britain and Switzerland and the success of both our countries.