SWITZERLAND opened an embassy in Yangon on Saturday and is also contributing US$100,000 towards efforts to list Bagan, the city famous for its temples and stupas, as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily, Switzerland Tourism believes the move will have a positive impact on tourism.
Said Urs Eberhard, Switzerland Tourism’s executive vice president markets and meetings: “We believe in the potential of the whole South-east Asian region. Currently we are concentrating on Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. But with the opening of the Swiss Embassy in Myanmar, we see some opportunities for tactical activities in this country. We work very closely with the Swiss authorities in many countries and Myanmar will be no exception.”
Myanmar has a population of around 60 million.
Switzerland established a development and cooperation agency in Yangon a few years ago, which will now be incorporated into the embassy. Switzerland plans to strengthen its ties with Myanmar in peace support, human rights, education, employment, health and food.
