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List of ambassadors of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

This is a list of United States ambassadors to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein.[1]

History

Since 1997, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland has also been accredited to the Principality of Liechtenstein. Appointed on February 10, 1997, Ambassador Madeleine M. Kunin served as the first United States Ambassador to Liechtenstein.[2] She presented her credentials to Liechtenstein on March 14, 1997, which marked the beginning of the United States' diplomatic relations with the country.[3]

Although the United States executed its first treaty with Liechtenstein in 1926, at the time, and until 1997, Liechtenstein was represented diplomatically by Switzerland.[4]

Before 1997 it was understood that the rights of a U.S.–Swiss agreement also extended to citizens of Liechtenstein because it had yielded control of its foreign affairs to Switzerland. At the end of the 20th century, however, it "began pursuing independent membership in international organizations".[4]

Political appointees

The Embassy of the United States on Sulgeneckstrasse 193 in Bern, Switzerland (2010).
The Embassy of the United States on Sulgeneckstrasse 193 in Bern, Switzerland (2010).

U.S. ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.[5] The position of ambassador to Switzerland is generally held by a political appointee rather than a career Foreign Service Officer (FSO). According to the American Foreign Service Association, only two career FSOs since 1960 have been appointed to the Swiss and Liechtenstein ambassadorship (both times were in the 1970s), whereas the remaining twenty ambassadors were political appointees, typically those known as "campaign bundlers" who raise large sums of money for presidential campaigns.[6]

List of ambassadors

Recess appointments

The following were commissioned during a Senate recess and thus were recommissioned after their post-recess confirmations.

Other cases

Theodore Sedgwick Fay was nominated to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary on February 25, 1856, but his nomination was withdrawn before the Senate acted on it. George Schneider was commissioned during a Senate recess and he took the oath of office but did not proceed to post.

See also

References

  1. ^ "History: The U.S. Ambassadors in Switzerland". Embassy of the United States Bern, Switzerland. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "Kunin To Add Liechtenstein to Diplomatic Portfolio". Associated Press News. January 14, 1997.
  3. ^ "Madeleine May Kunin (1933–)". U.S. State Department Office of the Historian. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, Since 1776: Liechtenstein". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  5. ^ United States U.S. Senate – Powers & Procedure Senate.gov Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  6. ^ Brunner, Jim (February 6, 2014). "Obama fundraiser Suzi LeVine nominated as envoy to Switzerland". The Seattle Times.
  7. ^ "US ambassador to leave on presidential inauguration day". November 22, 2016.

Bibliography

External links