June 2020 Ambassador Fasel has announced two changes that have recently taken place in our honorary consuls network, in Northern Ireland and in Wales.

Mrs Ruth Thomas-Lehmann, Honorary Consul in Cardiff, retired on 31 December 2019. Her successor, Mrs Marlies Hoecherl, was appointed as the new Honorary Consul in Cardiff y our Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ignazio Cassis, with effect from 1 March 2020. Mrs Hoecherl has been living and working in Wales since 1989. She is a lawyer by profession and is presently a Partner at the Cardiff aw firm Capital Law Limited, in whose premises the Consulate has been hosted for several years. Through the activities of her law firm, Mrs Hoecherl has close ties with Switzerland as well as with local authorities. Being fluent in German and French she is also in a position to help and support the Swiss community in Wales and Swiss tourists who encounter problems while visiting Wales.

Mrs Franziska Hewitt, Honorary Consul in Belfast, has stepped down from her duties to pursue new activities. Her successor, Mr Michael Hewitt, was appointed as the new Honorary Consul in Belfast by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis with effect from 1 March 2020. Mr Hewitt s the husband of Franziska Hewitt. He was born in Northern Ireland and is a British, Swiss and Irish national. He works at DoubleBand Films in Belfast as a film producer and company director. He has extensive knowledge of the political, economic and social situation in Northern Ireland and through the former activities of his wife, Mr Hewitt is well accustomed to the responsibilities of an Honorary Consul and is ready to help and support the Swiss community in Northern Ireland and visiting Swiss tourists.

Ambassador Fasel has expressed his sincere thanks to Ruth Thomas-Lehman and to Franziska Hewitt, "for their valuable and exemplary service. For 13 and 11 years respectively, they have been promoting Swiss interests, facilitating visits with local government and business leaders and liaising with the local Swiss community. With their support we were also able to bring the Swiss Ambassador’s Award Concert tour to venues in Cardiff nd Belfast. I am convinced that in conveying these thanks I am also expressing the feelings of the entire Swiss community in Wales and Northern Ireland, who have been so well served. I’d also like to welcome Marlies Hoecherl and Michael Hewitt to their new roles.

They are joining us at an interesting time, but I’m sure they will soon make their presences felt and they are both welcome additions to our consular network."