Swiss diplomats from the embassy in Kiev lodged a request with the Moldovan government on behalf of Philip Morris International (PMI) to request the company be given a voice in discussions around new tobacco regulations.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry said that the request sent to Moldovan authorities was solely concerned with the consultation process and did not touch on the content of the new legislation, as well as defended its support for PMI, saying “One of the tasks of Swiss embassies is to represent the interests of the Swiss economy in their host country. That’s why it happens quite often that embassies are contacted directly by companies.”
This came just a few weeks after a public debate around PMI’s sponsorship of the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai led to the partnership getting dropped.