President Guy Parmelin will head a high-level economic delegation to Belgrade and Skopje from 28–29 April, the Federal Council announced on Friday. The trip marks the 110th anniversary of Swiss-Serbian relations and the first-ever presidential visit to North Macedonia, underscoring the Western Balkans’ rising importance for Swiss trade and diaspora policy. In Serbia, Parmelin will meet President Aleksandar Vučić to inaugurate a new CHF 120 million cooperation programme for 2026-29 that targets digital innovation, climate-resilient urban development and job creation. SECO officials travelling with the delegation are expected to sign an innovation-funding agreement that will give Serbian tech start-ups easier access to Swiss incubators and researcher visas. Swiss companies already employ more than 13,000 people in Serbia—largely in med-tech, machinery and shared-services centres.
![Swiss President Sets Trade-Focused State Visits to Serbia and North Macedonia]()
For executives and employees who will soon be shuttling between Switzerland, Serbia and North Macedonia, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Our Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers fast online processing and expert guidance on researcher visas, business visitor permits and residency documents, ensuring your team travels on schedule.
They hope the visit will accelerate double-taxation negotiations and expand Serbia’s participation in Swiss-backed vocational-training projects, which create a pipeline of locally trained talent eligible for intra-company transfers to Switzerland under the Western Balkans quota. The Skopje leg will spotlight the 100,000-strong North Macedonian diaspora living in Switzerland. Officials will unveil the new Swiss Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia and discuss expanding direct air links and air-rail connectivity aimed at business travellers. For mobility managers, the takeaway is clear: political momentum is building for smoother corporate travel and skills-exchange frameworks with both Western Balkan states.
For executives and employees who will soon be shuttling between Switzerland, Serbia and North Macedonia, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Our Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers fast online processing and expert guidance on researcher visas, business visitor permits and residency documents, ensuring your team travels on schedule.
They hope the visit will accelerate double-taxation negotiations and expand Serbia’s participation in Swiss-backed vocational-training projects, which create a pipeline of locally trained talent eligible for intra-company transfers to Switzerland under the Western Balkans quota. The Skopje leg will spotlight the 100,000-strong North Macedonian diaspora living in Switzerland. Officials will unveil the new Swiss Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia and discuss expanding direct air links and air-rail connectivity aimed at business travellers. For mobility managers, the takeaway is clear: political momentum is building for smoother corporate travel and skills-exchange frameworks with both Western Balkan states.
