Relationship dossier
Canada
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation in trade, social security and diplomatic protection
Canada toward Switzerland
+35Canada participates in the free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association, which includes Switzerland, and maintains bilateral social security and scientific cooperation arrangements with Switzerland.
Switzerland toward Canada
+40Switzerland has served as Canada’s protecting power in Iran since Canada closed its embassy there in 2012, providing a concrete diplomatic service to the Canadian government. Switzerland also participates in the Canada–EFTA free-trade arrangement.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is structured by practical economic and social arrangements, alongside Switzerland’s diplomatic protection of Canadian interests in Iran. These provide durable forms of cooperation, although the breadth and recent implementation of some arrangements are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Canada and Switzerland have maintained practical cooperation through trade, social security and scientific arrangements. Canada participates in the free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association, which includes Switzerland. Switzerland has also served as Canada’s protecting power in Iran since Canada closed its embassy there in 2012. These arrangements indicate sustained, substantive ties, though their full scope and implementation are not clear.
Key developments
The Canada–EFTA free-trade agreement, which includes Switzerland, entered into force.
Switzerland began serving as Canada’s protecting power in Iran after Canada closed its embassy there.
Canada and Switzerland concluded a bilateral social security agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and current implementation of bilateral scientific cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of recent cooperation under trade and social security arrangements is unclear.