Switzerland to end bilateral development cooperation with Bangladesh, 2 other countries

The country is to phase out development assistance for Bangladesh, Zambia, and Albania by 2028

Switzerland has decided to gradually end its bilateral development cooperation with Bangladesh, Albania, and Zambia by 2028.

This decision was announced in a media statement from Switzerland's Federal Council on Wednesday.

The statement outlined how the Swiss Parliament's decision to reduce international development cooperation will be implemented.

The Swiss Federal Council said the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, or SDC, will phase out its bilateral development programmes in Bangladesh, Albania, and Zambia by 2028.

The decision was made after considering factors such as the field-level requirements, Switzerland's long-term diplomatic and economic interests, and the country's relative importance in international cooperation compared with other nations.

In December, the Swiss Parliament decided to cut international development assistance across bilateral and multilateral platforms.

However, humanitarian aid, peace promotion, and support to Ukraine will be excluded from this reduction.

The statement also said that starting from 2025, Switzerland will stop its contributions to multilateral organisations such as the Global Partnership for Education, UNAIDS, and UNESCO.