Liechtenstein is buying a residence and office for its embassy in the United States. Until now, the Liechtenstein's embassy rented premises in an office building. The purchase underscores the great significance Liechtenstein attaches to its own diplomatic representation in the United States. As a small country with limited personnel and financial resources, Liechtenstein otherwise only maintains embassies in its neighboring countries and at the seats of international organizations.
Liechtenstein has had its own diplomatic representation in the United States since 2000, when the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations was entrusted with diplomatic relations with the US as well. The relations between Liechtenstein and the United States have developed steadily in recent years, and their importance has grown due to the fight against terrorism financing and money laundering. Thanks to these enhanced contacts and against the backdrop of the Government's foreign policy goal of positioning Liechtenstein not only as a financial center, but also as an attractive location for business and industry, the non-resident embassy was expanded into a permanent representation in Washington in 2002. The former ambassador of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, Claudia Fritsche, took over this important representative function.
The embassy in the United States is one of Liechtenstein's few embassies established for diplomatic relations and bilateral contacts with other countries. Until recently, embassies had only been established in the neighboring countries of Switzerland and Austria, as well as 1999 in Germany. Apart from these bilateral embassies, Liechtenstein is represented at international organizations such as the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Economic Area, the European Free Trade Association, and the World Trade Organization. This limitation is due to the personnel and financial resources of the small country of Liechtenstein, which must restrict its foreign policy to essential focus areas. These focus areas include human rights policy, the progressive development of international law, development cooperation, international humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. Since the 1970s, Liechtenstein has steadily expanded its diplomatic apparatus, but the country still maintains relatively few embassies in comparison with larger countries. With respect to the protection of Liechtenstein citizens and the interests of the State, however, Liechtenstein can rely on an agreement concluded with Switzerland in 1919. Thanks to this flexible arrangement, Switzerland represents Liechtenstein's interests wherever the Principality does not maintain its own embassies. Switzerland acts on application, but it may also turn down requests by Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein may enter into diplomatic contacts directly with other States and establish its own diplomatic representations.
Already upon conclusion of this agreement, Liechtenstein established an embassy to conduct bilateral relations with Switzerland. After conclusion of the Customs Treaty in 1923, a dense network of relations evolved between Liechtenstein and Switzerland, which Liechtenstein was able to preserve even when it joined the EEA in 1995. A large number of agreements facilitate intensive cooperation in economics, health, education, social security, police matters, agriculture, and transportation. The Currency Treaty allows Liechtenstein to use the Swiss franc as its official currency. To underscore the friendly neighborly relations, Switzerland accredited an ambassador to Liechtenstein in spring 2000, residing in Berne.
In 1919, Liechtenstein established a legation in its neighboring country of Austria, after dissolution of its historic close ties with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Already in 1923, however, when Liechtenstein concluded its Customs Treaty with Switzerland, the legation in Vienna was closed, and diplomatic representation was delegated to Switzerland. A Liechtenstein embassy was only reestablished in 1983, situated however at the Liechtenstein embassy in Berne. The current Liechtenstein embassy located in Vienna was opened in 1988, which also represents Liechtenstein's interests in relation with the international organizations headquartered in Vienna. The Liechtenstein ambassador is simultaneously accredited to the UN organizations and Vienna and represents Liechtenstein at the OSCE.
Relations with Germany were elevated in 1999 through the accreditation of a non-resident ambassador in Berlin. With this ambassadorship, the Government aimed to intensify relations with the German authorities. At the end of 2002, a permanent Liechtenstein embassy in Berlin was opened, documenting the importance of Liechtenstein's bilateral relations with its neighboring country of Germany. Germany does not have a resident ambassador in the Principality of Liechtenstein, but the German ambassador accredited in Switzerland has been simultaneously responsible for Liechtenstein since 1992.
Liechtenstein has had its own embassy at the headquarters of the UN in New York since it joined the organization on 18 September 1990. In light of its limited personnel resources, Liechtenstein focuses on specific areas at the UN such as human rights and peace policy. Liechtenstein is actively engaged in UN reform by participating in several detailed reform negotiations. Ambassador Christian Wenaweser served as a co-chair of the working group on the reform of the Security Council. Liechtenstein also introduced an initiative to reform the working methods of the Security Council and is engaged in efforts to reform the human rights treaty bodies.
Already before Liechtenstein's definite accession to the EEA in 1995, a mission was established in Brussels to strengthen Liechtenstein's relations with the EU. EEA Ambassador Prince Nikolaus is simultaneously ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and serves as non-resident ambassador to the Holy See. Due to Liechtenstein's EEA membership, the activities of the mission in Brussels are primarily focused on the EU, also representing the countries in various EEA/EFTA bodies. On behalf of the Government, the EEA embassy also conducts negotiations within and outside the scope of the EEA, such as negotiations in connection with the adoption of EEA law and EU enlargement.
Liechtenstein's interests at EFTA and the WTO are represented by the permanent mission in Geneva. Since Liechtenstein's accession to the Council of Europe in 1978, the permanent mission in Strasbourg has conducted relations with the Council of Europe and its members. The responsibilities of the permanent mission also include relations with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, the European Court of Justice, and the French authorities.
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