On 17 January 2017, at the World Economic Forum, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter presented a book to the outgoing US-Secretary of State John Kerry as a farewell gift. This publication «‹If Neutral Switzerland Did not Exist, We Would Have Had to Invent It›. A Brief Selection of Documents on the Relations Between Switzerland, the United States and Cuba 1961–1971» is a special edition of documents from Dodis.
The selection of official documents covers the first decade of the Swiss representation of US-interests on Cuba. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana in August 2015 ended this mandate after 54 years. Burkhalter was invited by Kerry at that time to attend the re-opening of the US embassy in Cuba.
The story and the pictures of the John Kerry receiving the ad hoc publication covered in red on the world stage in Davos made the news yesterday. A PDF of this book by the DDS can be downloaded here free of charge.
«If Neutral Switzerland...».pdf