Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin to India and addressed a joint press conference in Delhi, highlighting the implementation of a historic Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Free Trade Association countries and outlining targets for major investment and job creation.

Modi expressed happiness at welcoming the Swiss President and appreciated his commitment to India-Switzerland relations. He noted that with Parmelin’s personal support, the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association, or EFTA, countries was implemented last October. He described it as India’s first free trade agreement with any economic bloc in Europe and an ambitious blueprint for investment, innovation, jobs, and shared prosperity.

Through this agreement, Modi said the aim is to achieve targets of 100 billion dollars in investment in India and one million direct jobs over the next 15 years. He added that the goals of attracting 100 billion dollars in investment and creating 10 lakh direct jobs in India over the next 15 years will be realised.

Modi also referred to the long-standing friendship between India and Switzerland, which he said is centuries old. He recalled that in the 19th century Swami Vivekananda saw a glimpse of the Himalayas in the Swiss Alps, and that Mahatma Gandhi spent time in Switzerland and interacted with its people. The memories of these historic visits, he stated, continue to resonate in the friendship even today.

The statements underscored the economic partnership’s focus on shared prosperity through investment and employment generation linked to the recently implemented agreement.