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ACTION EUR-25
INFO OCT-01 EA-11 ISO-00 SAJ-01 PM-07 NSC-07 SP-03 SS-20
RSC-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-04 USIA-15
PRS-01 EB-11 NIC-01 L-03 DRC-01 /122 W
--------------------- 072867
R 071649Z JUN 74
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9137
INFO USLO PEKING
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E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: EGEN, ETRD, PFOR, SZ, CH
SUBJ: SWISS FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT PRC
1. SWISS FEDERAL COUNCILOR PIERRE GRABER, WHO IS RESPON-
SIBLE FOR FEDERAL POLITICAL DEPARTMENT (FOREIGN MINISTRY),
WILL VISIT PEKING BEGINNING AUGUST 1 FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH
PRC PRIMARILY ON ECONOMIC/COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS AND TO PRE-
SIDE AT FORMAL OPENING ON AUGUST 7 OF LARGE SWISS INDUS-
TRIAL EXHIBITION. VISIT HAS NOT YET BEEN ANNOUNCED
PUBLICLY. GRABER WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AMBASSADOR
JOLLES, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF COMMERCE; AMBASSADOR RAY-
MOND PROBST, DEPUTY UNDER JOLLES RESPONSIBLE FOR SWISS
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH STATE-TRADING COUNTRIES; AND
MICHAEL GELZER OF POLITICAL DEPARTMENT.
2. IN CONVERSATION WITH EMBOFF JUNE 6, PROBST NOTED
THAT NO TRADE OR ECONOMIC AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED
BETWEEN SWITZERLAND AND CHINA BUT REFRAINED FROM PREDICT-
ING WHAT MIGHT BE ACCOMPLISHED IN GRABER TALKS IN PEKING.
HE NOTED THAT SWISS HAVE BEEN PLEASED BY RECENT EXPORT
PERFORMANCE TO PRC OF SUCH ITEMS AS WATCHES AND MACHINERY
AND HAVE DEVOTED CONSIDERABLE PROMOTION RESOURCES TO
PEKING EXHIBIT. PROBST SAID THAT HE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED
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TO HAVE ERNST BRUGGER, FEDERAL COUNCILOR FOR DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC ECONOMY, OPEN EXHIBIT AND HANDLE DISCUSSIONS,
BUT BRUGGER'S POSITION AS SWISS PRESIDENT DURING 1974
PRECLUDES EXTENSIVE FOREIGN TRAVEL.
3. EMBASSY ASSUMES THAT SWISS WOULD LIKE CONCLUDE FRAME-
WORK TRADE/ECONOMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT INCLUDING POS-
SIBLE ESTABLISHMENT OF MIXED COMMISSION IN WHICH SWISS
INDUSTRY COULD PARTICIPATE.
DAVIS
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