Diplomatic Watch recently met with His Excellency, Jacques Pitteloud, Swiss Ambassador to the United States, at his Washington, D.C. residence for an in-depth interview as his five-year tenure nears its end. Ambassador Pitteloud shared his experiences and observations on the dynamic relationship between Switzerland and the United States during this key period.
During the conversation, Ambassador Pitteloud discussed key accomplishments, obstacles overcome, and notable events that shaped his time as Switzerland’s top diplomat in the U.S. He offered a unique perspective on how economic ties, scientific collaboration, and cultural exchanges have evolved between the two nations.
The interview explored his role in advancing bilateral relations, particularly in areas of trade, technology, and workforce development. He provided insights into Switzerland’s growing influence as a strategic partner for the United States in various sectors.
Ambassador Pitteloud also reflected on the changing nature of diplomacy in the 21st century, sharing how his multicultural background influenced his approach to international relations. The discussion touched on global challenges faced during his tenure, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these events impacted diplomatic efforts.
As he prepares to conclude his mission, Ambassador Pitteloud offered his views on the future of U.S.-Swiss partnerships and shared a final message for both American citizens and Swiss
This interview provides a unique window into high-level diplomacy and the strengthening ties between Switzerland and the United States.
Your Excellency, thank you again for having us. Reflecting on your five years as a Swiss Ambassador to the United States. What would you say have been the most significant achievements during your tenure?
I think the most significant achievement has been to build on what was already an excellent relationship and to move beyond some of the old stories from the past that definitely belong there. We have been fundamentally improving the relationship between Switzerland and the United States of America, which is a relationship based on common values, mutual trust, and the fact that we are two highly advanced economies working together at a high level. It is not a relationship where one economy exports and the other just takes raw materials. It is a relationship between developed economies, and we have been achieving a series of milestones to make this scientific and economic relationship even better than it was before.
Our economic relationship or trade relationship has been growing consistently. I was the lucky Ambassador to be here when the U.S. overtook Germany as Switzerland’s main trading partner for the first time in history, and the gap has been increasing ever since.
We are finalizing a new double taxation agreement. We have agreed on good manufacturing practices for the pharmaceutical industry, making it easier for pharmaceutical industries on both sides of the Atlantic to work together. We have a series of small technical agreements. They may not look like much, but every time you finalize one, it makes it easier for the private sectors in both countries to work more closely together.
Equally important is scientific cooperation, because right now, a scientific and economic revolution that is unique in history is taking place in the United States. Countries must decide: will they catch the train or not? I think that so far, Switzerland is firmly on the train. Even if the train leaves the station, we are on it, and it’s fundamental for us as a high-technology economy to be part of what’s happening in the U.S. right now.
Thank you so much, Your Excellency. How has the relationship between Switzerland and the United States evolved during your time here?
The relationship has traditionally been very good. We are, as I keep saying to my American interlocutors, much better than allies. We are friends. You know, sometimes you choose allies because you need them in certain circumstances. At one point, this country (the U.S.) was an ally to Joseph Stalin because it needed to be. We (Switzerland and the U.S.) are friends, and being friends means we share the same values and pursue the same goals.
The relationship had been slightly difficult on a few occasions, mainly relating to the finance sector and the role of the Swiss finance sector in the world. I am happy to say this definitely belongs to the past. We have had a series of high-ranking visits from all parts of the Swiss civil service dealing with the finance sector. The Attorney General publicly said we have no better partner than Switzerland in fighting money laundering.
Therefore, issues from a few years ago are non-issues today, and it has taken away the last remnants of what could have been a small bump in the road. I am very proud that we have, together with our American partners, created a relationship entirely based on trust now, even in sectors that were contentious a few years ago. It has changed.
What are some of the challenges that you faced as Ambassador and how did you address them?
There were various challenges, but frankly, the bilateral relationship between Switzerland and the United States was very good. We had very few situations where we couldn’t find a common agreement or position.
One of the main challenges of being the Swiss Ambassador to the United States is our role as the protecting power of the United States in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This means we are involved in the bilateral relationship between Iran and the United States whenever the mandatory power, the United States, wants us to be.
We are involved in hostage negotiations and very complex financial negotiations. This has sometimes been challenging, more from a technical point of view than a political one. I do not recall a situation in the last five years where we had a massive disagreement that needed a political solution. The relationship was very good all the time.
Can you share some memorable moments or experiences that stood out to you during your time in the U.S.?
There were many great moments. One I could mention is Operation Baby Formula and being on the tarmac at Dulles Airport to welcome the first shipment of Swiss baby formula when the U.S. was reeling from shortages. We, along with the Germans, stepped in to cover the needs. It was a good demonstration that free trade works well between highly developed economies. It was a fun experience.
You mentioned that the U.S. has overtaken Germany as Switzerland’s top trade partner since you arrived. Has your relationship with the United States significantly changed during this time?
I think the relationship between Switzerland and the United States has not undergone a fundamentally significant change in the last five years. Just to say a word about Germany, they are the engine of the European economy, and Switzerland’s success is tied to theirs. While trade with Germany continues to grow, trade with the U.S. has been expanding at a faster pace.
The most significant development in the relationship is its deepening. It goes beyond just trade and now encompasses science, education, and, increasingly, helping America develop a skilled workforce. The American economy is evolving towards high-skilled jobs, and the Swiss apprenticeship system offers valuable experience. Switzerland is working with different U.S. states to help them train the skills needed for high-tech projects.
This is a major shift. Ten or fifteen years ago, Switzerland’s advocacy for a skilled workforce fell on deaf ears. Now, with the repatriation of high-tech companies, the U.S. recognizes the need for a skilled workforce focused on creation. This has opened new avenues of cooperation that were previously only theoretical. Before, everyone in the U.S. admired the Swiss and German apprenticeship models, but there was no urgency to implement them. That has changed. Governors across the country are asking how to acquire a skilled workforce. because there are jobs available but not enough workers. This is an area where Switzerland can offer significant help.
In what ways have you seen cultural exchanges between Switzerland and the United States grow or transform?
The U.S. has been the dominant cultural power in the world for more than 50 years. America is everywhere, from cinema to music to literature. It’s definitely an uneven relationship because America is a cultural superpower. Switzerland, being a small country, cannot compete. We have been working very hard to convey nontraditional images of Swiss culture. This is why we have the amazing Swiss Impact website, where we speak about trade, politics, and culture. Switzerland is much more than cows, watches, and chocolate. We have beautiful cows, extraordinary chocolate, and the best watches in the world, but Switzerland is much more than that.
Switzerland is a high-technology country with a higher proportion of foreign-born residents than the United States. Most people don’t know this, but our brilliant national soccer team is an example of our diversity. Switzerland has a mix of European and non-European cultures, creating a very interesting phenomenon. It is difficult to talk about, because people usually stick to a vision of Heidi in the mountains. While we still have the mountains, cows, and our specific Swiss culture, Switzerland is increasingly becoming a magnet for people from all over the world. This is changing our society for the better, making us a very interesting meeting place for ideas, cultures, and music.
The cultural exchange remains uneven because one is a superpower and the other a small country. However, we are starting to have a presence in the United States with aspects of Swiss culture that you would not necessarily think about.
Let’s discuss your wife’s African heritage. How does it influence your work as an Ambassador in the United States?
It has transformed me as a human being, because when you are in an intercultural relationship, it goes beyond just someone on the other side of the border or someone who is really far away. You learn to be much more respectful of other people’s cultures and opinions.
The closer you delve into a totally foreign culture, the more you understand that your vision of life and society is just one perspective, and other people’s visions are as legitimate as yours. I think it makes one a better diplomat.
What is the role of a diplomat? The role of a diplomat is to be a translator between the country you’re posted to and your home country.
If you come with your national lens—the Swiss one, for instance—and judge everything from a Swiss point of view—such as thinking a country is terrible because trains are not on time—you will never truly understand what is happening in that country or inform your government correctly. By shedding your national lens and filter and being open to other cultures, you become a better diplomat. I don’t write about what’s happening in the United States the way a Swiss person would, but as someone who understands Americans, their deep motives, and how their society works. This makes a significant difference.
You might be a little familiar with Rwandese culture, which is very different from most African cultures. It’s a different world and a difficult society to understand. I have spent the last 30 years trying to comprehend it. I think I understand a bit more than the average European citizen, and it has helped me question some of my basic assumptions.
I am infinitely grateful to my wife for educating me on something I would never have understood otherwise. This approach helped me when I came to the U.S. I am always struck by how little Europeans understand America. Perhaps it’s because they assume Americans are just Europeans who immigrated to North America. They don’t understand American behavior.
When you realize that Americans left Europe to create something entirely different, not to be Europeans but to escape Europe, you start to understand behaviors and reactions that are alien to Europeans. It’s not the same continent, and I love the multicultural aspect of trying to understand it.
Your Excellency, many people commend your accessibility and positive presence at events. Over your five years as Ambassador, how has the perception of Switzerland among Americans changed?
I hope I was able to make a difference, but what is certain is that this is the best job in the world. You represent a country you can be proud of, in a country that has a positive perception of Switzerland. Frankly, wherever you go in the U.S., people love Switzerland, often without knowing exactly why, but there is this positive vision of the country.
In Washington, I have the most amazing infrastructure to exist as a diplomat. There are so many embassies vying for visibility, and you just need the means to be present. I have an amazing infrastructure and a beautiful residence, allowing me to organize incredible events. So, if you don’t succeed with these kinds of conditions, then you’re not doing your job properly.
What I’m proud of is understanding that Americans like plain talk. Americans don’t have time to waste, so whenever a topic is discussed, or whenever there is a contentious subject, you speak about it directly and don’t mince words—because this is the American way of doing it. There are other cultures where one has to be extremely careful.
We have been successful in creating a few spectacular events, from the Soirée Suisse, which is well-known in Washington, to the after-parties for The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and a Black History Month event series, where we had amazing people participate, giving us definite visibility. We have also tried to focus more on the scientific and trade relationship, and a little less on chocolate and Heidi, which I think was successful.
You can’t do it on your own. The life of Ambassadors—basically all of the work, the whole preparation, from the website to the invitation to the contacts—is done by the team. Either you have a great team, or you will never succeed. It’s not enough to be a decent communicator.
I once served as personal advisor to a minister in the Swiss government and he always said, “You’re passing the ball to me, and I’m shooting the goal, but you need someone to pass the ball to you because otherwise, you’ll never shoot a goal.”
How have you and your team navigated the challenges posed by global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic in maintaining strong diplomatic ties?
I will never forget the meeting in March 2020 when I assembled my team. I said, “From now on, we are going to work in two different teams to minimize the risk of infection. One half will work from home, and don’t be mistaken, this might go on at least until July.” It ended up being July two years later. Okay, I didn’t specify the year, but I meant July of the same year.
The restrictions were in place here in Washington, D.C., but they were manageable. Yes, we worked a lot from home and used Zoom frequently, but we didn’t completely interrupt diplomatic life. We still had one-on-one meetings and dinners, albeit at a very long table, where one had to shout to hear the other party I would have been terribly sad if we had had to interrupt any contact.
This experience taught us some really interesting lessons. You might recall that a few years ago, people were saying diplomacy is dead because governments can talk to each other every day via Zoom. They said you don’t need diplomats every day.
But COVID has shown that the personal contacts you create during a nice evening with good discussions and dinner are really important. And you cannot create these kinds of contacts through Skype. You need to have a presence—not only a physical presence but a human presence. You need to know the people you are dealing with.
I was extremely lucky because I came six months before COVID. I had the opportunity to start my activities and meet a lot of people before COVID started. I feel sorry for my colleagues who had to come in the middle of COVID; it was much more difficult. I already had key contacts in place, so whenever it was really necessary, we could activate them.
I think we have learned so many useful lessons as an Embassy, as a country, and globally in general. We will have to draw lessons from what happened during COVID, but it has highlighted many fundamental questions that we were kind of pushing away, like supply chain problems and other issues. It was a global experience that I think we can draw upon to be better prepared next time. Because the question is not if, but when. The next time will come.
In your experience, while technology like Zoom has become essential, can it ever fully replace the importance of in-person diplomacy?
It has helped us tremendously, and ICT tools have changed our lives. I recall the beginning of my career when I was posted to Saudi Arabia, and there was only one Swiss Air flight per week. Back then, we would receive newspapers from home and read them over the week, communicating with Bern via Telex. Phone calls were incredibly expensive, so we had to be very selective.
Now, we can consult and call anyone from anywhere in the world and see the person, which makes a difference. But human contact—you know, someone who is in your Rolodex (a very old-fashioned Rolodex)—and you’ve had dinner with them, met their family, and suddenly you really need something from them. It will never be the same if you only know the person through Zoom. It’s the kind of human contact, human confidence, that can only be created in person, maybe with 3D and holograms in the future, but even then, I have my doubts.
Let’s move to something more personal. How have you grown or changed as a person or diplomat over the past five years in the United States?
I come from a long lineage of doctors, so MDs. Usually, they send the less intelligent ones to law school. I was the one in my generation who went to law school. So, they say, “This one is not clever enough to be a doctor.” I remember in my family, they were always saying that there are two types of doctors: “Diejenigen, die in Amerika waren und diejenigen, die nicht dort waren” (Those who have been to America and those who haven’t). There was this lure in my family that you had to go to America. Now I understand why, because I think America has fundamentally changed me.
What has changed is the fundamental approach to problems. It’s like, okay, there’s a challenge. Let’s tackle this challenge and solve it. If you fail, congratulations, it means you tried. Try again. This is something uniquely American, and it has definitely changed me.
I’ve met the most amazing people with incredible life stories—people who started from the bottom and made it to the top through sheer will and determination. And it has changed me.
Interestingly, even in my department, we look at diplomats who have been to America—they have a different vision of America. They’ve shed their Swiss lens. Instead of reading what European media writes about America, they have been to America. They’ve seen this country, lived in this country. And I am incredibly grateful for what America has given me. It was an amazing experience.
What will you miss about living and working in the United States after your tenure?
What I will miss most is the incredible access one gets in this country—because it is not about hierarchies. America is incredibly open, so that’s something I will miss.
I will miss the feeling of being where it’s all happening right now. Because right now, the revolution of the 21st century is happening in the U.S., and I am leaving. I would like to be here because there is so much we can do together.
I will miss what many Europeans consider a superficial trait of Americans—to be incredibly friendly and open the moment they meet you, on a first-name basis. Europeans tend to say, “Oh, this is all superficial; they’ll forget you.” I know this is not the case; you can build extremely deep friendships here.
And finally, what I will miss like crazy is the incredible concentration of brilliant minds in this city. For five years, I’ve pinched myself almost every evening, thinking, “How do I deserve the luck to be sitting at a table with this person I normally would have only seen on television?”
I have met the greatest minds, from the Secretary of the Smithsonian to the Librarian of Congress, to National Security Advisors, and every time I think, “My God, I am having a discussion with someone I’ve read books by or about.” It’s just incredible. This place is so unique; it’s probably one of the only places in the world where you would meet such a concentration of brilliant minds. I wouldn’t know of anywhere else.
H.E. Jacques Pitteloud, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S., delivers a heartfelt message to the American people and Swiss communities in the United States during an interview with Diplomatic Watch as he concludes his impactful tenure. @SwissEmbassyUSA @SwissAmbUSA @SwissMFA @SwissCGNY… pic.twitter.com/L7FxeQ5Xdw
— DiplomaticWatch (@Diplo_Watch) July 27, 2024
What message would you like to leave with the American people and the Swiss communities in the United States?
I have a clear message for the American people. Right now, as a nation, you are stuck in a negative narrative about yourselves from both extremes and sides of the political divide. You keep hearing only negative messages about this country.
The reality is totally different. America is still America—it’s a country forever in a state of permanent renewal and thus, in a state of permanent youth and energy.
Yes, it faces challenges, as every economy and every nation does. It has its political problems, especially in this phase of acute polarization. But if you look at it in the long term, through the framework of American history, you’ll realize the pendulum is swinging back towards a country that will be a little more at peace with itself, a country as successful and creative as it has ever been.
So, I think it’s a message of hope. I don’t just hope; I believe it’s right, and I believe that in the 21st century, America will remain a beacon for the rest of the world. So, I wouldn’t despair.
