THE NEW AMBASSADOR OF SWITZERLAND

Mr Alexander Wittwer, who originates from Schangnau/BE, was born in Langenthal near the capital city of Berne in 1956. He studied at the University of Berne and is a lawyer. He joined the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 1987, starting his career as a trainee diplomat in Geneva and Washington, D.C. In 1989, he was assigned as Diplomatic Collaborator to the Integration Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berne for the European Economic Area (EEA) Negotiations between the EU and Switzerland. In 1992, he was transferred to Budapest/Hungary as First Secretary of the Swiss Embassy and in 1996 he was promoted to Counsellor of the Swiss Embassy in Harare/Zimbabwe. In 2000 he became Deputy Head of the Diplomatic Inspection Team at the State Secretariat in Berne. In 2004 he occupied the post of Deputy Head of Mission in Washington, D.C., with the title of a Minister-Counsellor. In November 2008, the Swiss Federal Council assigned Mr. Wittwer as Ambassador of Switzerland in the Republics of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, with Residence in Harare. Since December 2012 Mr. Wittwer was the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of Albania and since May 2014 is Mr. Wittwer Ambassador of Switzerland to Slovakia. Mr Wittwer is married and has two adult daughters.