On 11 June 2012, Federal President Joachim Gauck travelled to Switzerland to attend a meeting of heads of state of German-speaking countries. In the Swiss town of Chur, Gauck met with Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Crown Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and the event’s host, Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.

The topics on the agenda of the one-day working meeting included the political challenges currently facing the four countries, international policy issues and the coordination of transport policy in the Alps region. A luncheon together was also part of the programme.

The informal meetings of German-speaking heads of state have been taking place since 2004, and are hosted on a rotating basis by Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany. Germany hosted the informal meeting in Lübeck in November 2010. The most recent meeting took place in Liechtenstein in September 2011, and the next meeting is planned for next year in Austria.