As part of the Swiss government's annual field trip to the home canton of the current president, Defence Minister Viola Amherd has welcomed the six other government ministers to Brig in canton Valais. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. They received a warm round of applause from the public on Thursday, who gathered in the shade of the archways of the Stockalper Castle and sang the official Valais anthem. "It is an important moment for the Federal Council to meet the people," said Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, at a media event in front of the castle in the Upper Valais town. She said she was looking forward to showing her colleagues around her home canton. The two-day trip to Valais began in the morning with a stop in Sion, where the party arrived by train. Celebrating closeness to the public "We are looking forward to sharing this moment of conviviality and exchange with you," Amherd told the hundred or so people who welcomed ...