Free Republic

US President-elect Donald Trump expressed his “respect” for Switzerland to Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in a phone call on Wednesday. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) confirmed the anticipated phone call took place, saying in a statement that Schneider-Ammann “congratulated the future US president on the election and reaffirmed the strong economic and political partnership between the ‘sister republics’.” The Swiss president “spoke of Switzerland’s strengths and its unique dual-track education system — which meets with great interest in the US — and its strong capacity for innovation,” said the WBF. …

US President-elect Donald Trump has requested a phone call with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in the coming days, the latter told Swiss broadcaster RTS on Saturday. Trump wishes to speak “entrepreneur to entrepreneur, and politician to politician”, said Schneider-Ammann, who was head of his family’s mechanical engineering business, Ammann Group, from 1988 until his election to the Swiss Federal Council in 2010. “I’m looking forward to talking to him,” he told RTS. This will be the first telephone conversation between the pair since Trump’s election on November 8th. …