Mr Berset has said he does not believe there will be a quick breakthrough in treaty negotiations and vowed he will not allow the EU to put Switzerland under pressure.
While not a member of the EU, Switzerland is part of the Schengen zone and is tied to the bloc by scores of bilateral agreements. Brussels and Bern are working to reach a new overarching deal regarding the partnership.
Mr Berset, speaking to the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, said he was in no rush to secure meetings with EU leaders despite ample opportunity at the ongoing economic conference in Davos.
He said: “Swiss policy on the European Union is not made in Davos”.
Official meetings only made sense if there was something new to discuss, he added, saying that “Jean-Claude Juncker and I talk whenever it is necessary”.
Mr Berset also pointed out his Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis had just taken his position in office late October last year and Swiss-EU proposals would be presented “soon”.
He said the EU wanted a timeframe quickly but said Switzerland would not be “pressured”.
The Swiss President is however scheduled for talks in Davos with US President Donald Trump, which he said were likely to cover bilateral relations.
When asked if, in response to Trump’s “America First” policy, he would be defending “Switzerland first”, Mr Berset replied that “of course”, adding: “Defending Swiss interests is a priority for me.
“That also includes commitment to international organisations like the UN and to international norms, such as on human rights.”
Swiss MPs hope Britain’s divorce talks with Brussels may open new avenues for Swiss-EU ties. While Britain seems set to leave the single market and to impose controls on immigration, Switzerland is keen to ensure EU citizens can continue to live and work there – the price for its enhanced access to the EU market.
Mr Juncker, however, has said he was taking pains to ensure the Brexit issue and Swiss talks remained separate.
Bilateral ties suffered when Swiss voters in 2014 demanded quotas on EU immigration, but thawed after parliament last year adopted instead a system giving people registered as unemployed in Switzerland first crack at open jobs.
A new treaty could pave the way for heightened Swiss access to EU power markets, cutting costs and ensuring supplies in emergencies. It could also help open the EU market for financial services for Swiss-based banks and insurers.