History
The Liechtenstein
legation was opened in 1944. 25 years later, it was converted into an embassy. Liechtenstein had previously
maintained a legation in Berne from 1919 to 1933, which however had to be closed for internal (financial)
reasons. The heads of the legation/embassy since 1944 have been: H.S.H. Ambassador Prince Heinrich of
Liechtenstein (1944-1989); H.S.H. Ambassador Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (1989-1996); H.S.H. Ambassador
Prince Wolfgang of Liechtenstein (1996-2001); H.S.H. Ambassador Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein (2001-2007);
Herr Dr. Hubert Büchel (2007-present).
Building
The
first embassy was located on the Gerechtigkeitsgasse. In 1972, the State acquired property on the Willadingweg,
where the office and residence now stand. Pursuant to preparatory work and a decision in 2000, the residence
was renovated extensively between May 2001 and May 2002 and partially expanded. It is a modern, spacious
building, standing out from the other embassies in Berne, which are usually more traditional structures.
Relations
with Switzerland
The intensive relations with Switzerland have
resulted in many meetings and informational talks at all levels:
| 15 January 2002 |
|
Working visit of Prime Minister Otmar Hasler
with Kaspar Villiger, President of the Swiss
Confederation, in Berne |
| 21 September 2002 |
|
Liechtenstein Day at the Expo 02 in Biel
(Swiss National Exposition) |
| 25 November 2002 |
|
Working visit of Federal Councillor
Joseph Deiss, Foreign Minister, in Liechtenstein |
| 9 May 2003 |
|
Official visit of Pascal Couchepin, President
of the Swiss Confederation, in Liechtenstein |
| 18 June 2003 |
|
Working visit of Foreign Minister Dr. Ernst Walch
with Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey in Berne |
| 20 January 2004 |
|
Working visit of Prime Minister Otmar Hasler
with Federal Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz |
| 06 May 2004 |
|
Working visit of Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger in Liechtenstein |
| 22 June 2004 |
|
Working visit of Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey in Liechtenstein |
| 27 August 2004 |
|
Working visit of Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher in Liechtenstein |
| 9 November 2005 |
|
Official visit of the President of the Swiss Parliament Max Binder with the President of the Parliament of Liechtenstein Klaus Wanger |
| 6 June 2005 |
|
Official visit of Minister Rita Kieber-Beck with Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy Rey |
| 17 June 2005 |
|
Official visit of Prime Minister Otmar Hasler with Federal Councillor Hans-Rudolf Merz and Jean-Pierre Roth, President of the Swiss National Bank, on the occasion of 25 years of the Agreement of the Monetary Union |
| 14 September 2005 |
|
Working visit of Minister Martin Meyer with Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher in Berne |
| 29 September 2005 |
|
Minister Meyer signs a trilateral agreement on the exchange of data on asylum between Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland |
| 29 October 2005 |
|
Federal Counciller Blocher speaks at the Liechtenstein Dialogue in Vaduz |
| 04 November 2005 |
|
Working visit of Vice-Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher with Federal Councillor Blocher in Switzerland |
| 14/15 November 2005 |
|
First meeting between members of the Liechtenstein Parliament and the Swiss Parliament. |
| 22 November 2005 |
|
H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein meets with the President of the Swiss Confederation in Berne. It is the first official bilateral visit of H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois |
| 14 February 2006 |
|
Working visit of Vice-Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher with Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss in Berne |
|
In March 2000, the Swiss Federal Council appointed Ambassador Kurt
Höchner as the first Swiss ambassador to Liechtenstein. He held this position until September 2003.
His successor as ambassador to Liechtenstein is Ambassador Paul Seger, who has been Director of the
Directorate of International Law of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since June
2003. Ambassador Seger presented his credentials in Liechtenstein on 3 November 2003. The Directorate
of International Law is the most important contact point for all DFA affairs pertaining to Liechtenstein.
International
contacts through Bern
The Embassy acts as a communications hub
for countries with direct diplomatic relations with Liechtenstein. The primary goal of contact with
other embassies is to provide information on current developments in Liechtenstein and to convey an
overall accurate picture of Liechtenstein.
Consular
activities
The Embassy administers consular activities such as
services for Liechtenstein citizens living in Switzerland as well as – via the DFA – of Liechtenstein
citizens living abroad.
Responsibility for content lies with the 
|
|
