Srinagar – Switzerland’s Ambassador to India, Maya Tissafi, said on Thursday that Kashmir’s mountainous landscape felt “wonderfully similar” to her home country as she highlighted existing Swiss contributions to the region and discussed prospects for deeper cooperation in key sectors.
Tissafi, who is on a visit to Kashmir, held meetings with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and People’s Conference president and legislator Sajad Lone in Srinagar.
“The breathtaking mountains of Kashmir feel wonderfully familiar to a Swiss,” Tissafi said in a post on social media platform X following her meetings.
She said discussions focused on the region’s development priorities and future opportunities, noting that Swiss expertise was already contributing to Kashmir’s growth through infrastructure projects, hydropower technology, high-altitude climate studies and dairy farming.
According to the ambassador, both sides also explored opportunities for future collaboration in vocational training, hospitality, food processing and tourism, sectors viewed as important drivers of economic development and employment in the region.
Tissafi described her visit as a memorable introduction to the spirit of Kashmir and said she had visited Srinagar’s famed Nishat Bagh.
A spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir administration said the Swiss ambassador called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar but did not disclose details of their discussions.
Sajad Lone in a post on X confirmed the meeting with the Swiss envoy, saying the two exchanged views on a range of issues concerning the region.
A career diplomat with more than three decades of experience in diplomacy, peacebuilding and development, Tissafi has previously held senior positions within Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, including serving as Assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East and North Africa Division and ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
Her visit comes as Jammu and Kashmir seeks to attract greater international investment and expertise in sectors such as tourism, renewable energy, agriculture and skills development.
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