Switzerland has been participating in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme since 1996. PfP is a political initiative that is jointly realised by the 29 NATO member states and 22 partner states. Cooperation within PfP is aimed at enhancing trust and transparency in sensitive areas relating to security and defence policy. The objective of the partnership is to promote the security policy dialogue in the Euro-Atlantic area and to enhance peace, democracy and security in Europe through substantial cooperation.

For Switzerland the Partnership for Peace programme is an instrument for cooperation with NATO and other partner states selectively and according to its own security policy interests. Cooperation is always voluntary and is determined by the partner itself.

In the Partnership for Peace programme Switzerland is able to bring in its interests vis-a-vis NATO and other partner states and benefits from the exchange of information and experience. Many current threats and dangers are not limited to national borders. Therefore, the Euro-Atlantic states face similar security policy challenges that they are often only able to resolve jointly. So NATO and its partners have a common interest in dialoguing, sharing information and military interoperability.

Switzerland’s participation in the Partnership for Peace programme has been augmented with the foundation of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 1997. It enables an institutionalised security policy dialogue with NATO.