Bilateral relations U.S. - Liechtenstein

In June 2000, the Liechtenstein Parliament approved the establishment of a non-resident diplomatic representation of Liechtenstein in the United States of America. Ambassador Claudia Fritsche, who was then the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations in New York, was concurrently appointed non-resident Ambassador in Washington.

On December 7, 2000, Ambassador Fritsche presented her credentials to President William Jefferson Clinton. On this occasion, she described the relationship between Liechtenstein and the United States as one “based on a common commitment to democracy and a shared respect for human rights, the rule of law, tolerance and the free flow of ideas. I am convinced that Liechtenstein, through its solid domestic and foreign policies as well as its high level of political and economic continuity and stability, will continue to be a trusted partner of the United States and that the friendly relations, based on the mutual respect and common values and principles, will continue to prosper and further develop in the future.”

In view of the increased importance and cooperation in the fields of combating financial crimes, including money-laundering and the financing of terrorism, as well as in order to better  promote Liechtenstein as a business and industrial  location,  it was decided to transform the non-resident representation into a resident embassy.

On 1 October 2002, Ambassador Claudia Fritsche and her staff moved into the premises of the new Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Washington. In the meantime, the Liechtenstein Government acquired a property on the Georgetown waterfront which houses both, the chancery and the residence.

In 2007 H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois von Liechtenstein appointed the first two Honorary Consuls in the United States. Today, Liechtenstein has four Honorary Consuls in the United States, namely in Macon, Georgia, in Los Angeles, California, in Portland, Oregon and in Chicago, Illinois.

On a multilateral level, Liechtenstein and the United States continue to cooperate within the framework of international organizations, such as the United Nations and the OSCE.