President Keller-Sutter to travel to Ireland for high-level talks and the opening of an exhibition
Bern, 26.05.2025 — President Karin Keller-Sutter will travel to Ireland this week. On Thursday 29 May, she will attend the official opening of an exhibition at the National Museum in Dublin exploring the historic ties between Ireland and St Gallen during the early Medieval period. During her visit, she will hold talks with Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin and other members of the Irish government. Discussions will focus on bilateral relations, European policy and current international affairs. This marks the first visit by a Swiss president to Ireland since 2012.
Relations between Switzerland and Ireland have traditionally been very good. The two nations engage actively in multilateral forums, sharing fundamental democratic values and a strong commitment to the rule of law. As neutral states, both countries advocate for a multilateral system founded on respect for international law and human rights. On the economic front, they are united in their support for open, rules-based global trade. Ireland will assume the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2026.
During her visit to Dublin, President Keller-Sutter will meet with President Higgins and Taoiseach Martin, alongside Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe. Discussions will centre on Swiss-Irish bilateral relations, European policy matters, the security situation in Europe amid the ongoing war against Ukraine, and transatlantic relations.
The exhibition ‘Words on the Wave: Ireland and St Gallen in Early Medieval Europe’ at the National Museum displays artefacts and manuscripts from Ireland's Golden Age, when Irish missionaries spread Christianity throughout Europe. The wandering monk Gallus established what would become the renowned monastic settlement at St Gallen. The exhibition features several manuscripts from the Abbey Library of St Gallen, returning to Ireland for the first time in over 1,000 years.