National Armament Director Jakob Baumann meets his foreign counterparts and representatives from the industry

To begin with, the National Armament Director, Jakob Baumann, will visit the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget, on 15 and 16 June 2009. It has become a tradition that the National Armament Director visits the Air Show every year. The visit is used for talks with his French counterpart and to cultivate contacts to domestic and foreign industries, and to commercial associations.

After a bilateral meeting in Switzerland in 2007, the National Armament Director has been invited by his Italian counterpart, Gen. C. A. Aldo Cinelli, and visits him in Rome on 22 and 23 June 2009 . The main focus is on reviewing the existing bilateral relations in the field of armaments and on identifying potential common interests. Morever, talks with Italian defence companies are planned.

His third and last trip abroad before the summer holidays from 6 to 10 July 2009 will lead the National Armament Director to the US and Canada. In Washington he will hold talks with authorities from the Department of Defense. Furthermore, meetings with American companies are foreseen. The visit will be concluded by bilateral talks with the Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), Mr. Dan Ross. Since this is the first official visit  of the Swiss National Armament Director to Canada since he took office, the main focus will be on a mutual exchange of information regarding armament issues.