SWISS EMBASSIES
I recently had the opportunity to interact with the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco which is located in a nice facility on Pier 17. As expected, our representatives were professional, courteous & friendly. After the short visit I realized that most of us take many of the services provided by our governments for granted - that is until such time that we need them. This certainly is the case regarding embassies. Embassies are located in the capitals of their host countries, and in many countries governments will establish consulates and even have honorary consuls in some cities. Their primary role is to represent their country and offer assistance to its citizens traveling outside their home country. A number of years ago while on a business trip to Botswana, the South African Special Forces made an incursion to the outskirts of Gaborone not far from where we were staying. Apparently, the night-raid made the headlines back home and our company contacted the U.S. Embassy to make sure that we were not in danger. The ambassador got a hold of us offering their services if we needed any help.
Although most embassies provide similar services to their citizens, Switzerland, due to its long-standing neutrality holds a very special place in the world playing an important role as a neutral intermediary in international relations. The United States Government has been a beneficiary of Swiss diplomacy. After 54 years, in 2015, the Swiss Ambassador to the United States removed a small golden plate from the Swiss Embassy that identified the Swiss government as the “protecting power” of Cuban interests in the United States. The Swiss had accepted an assignment from President Dwight Eisenhower to act as middleman for communications with Fidel Castro’s regime. During the Cold War the Swiss played a significant role in de-escalating tensions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They helped to secure an agreement with the Cuban government which facilitated the mass exodus of Cuban refugees to the United States, and in 1964, thanks to the efforts of Emile Stadelhofer, the Swiss Ambassador to Havana, Castro abandoned his goal of nationalizing the U.S. Embassy. The Swiss government continues to provide a back-channel between the U.S. and Iran for exchanging communications on an ad hoc basis when tensions run high. They hold a number of other mandates. The Swiss represent Iran in Saudi Arabia, Georgia in Russia, Turkey in Libya, and undoubtedly a number of others. Will Switzerland be able to maintain its neutral position in years to come? The Russian invasion of the Ukraine poses a significant challenge.
Most of us will avail ourselves to the services of the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco. Consulates are like branch offices of the embassies. They are responsible for their fellow citizens handling public administration functions such as issuing passports & visas and addressing social security issues. They play a major role in representing the economic interests of Swiss companies, and American firms wishing to do business with Switzerland.
Checkout the videos & web sites by clicking on the various highlighted links above.
I recently had the opportunity to interact with the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco which is located in a nice facility on Pier 17. As expected, our representatives were professional, courteous & friendly. After the short visit I realized that most of us take many of the services provided by our governments for granted - that is until such time that we need them. This certainly is the case regarding embassies. Embassies are located in the capitals of their host countries, and in many countries governments will establish consulates and even have honorary consuls in some cities. Their primary role is to represent their country and offer assistance to its citizens traveling outside their home country. A number of years ago while on a business trip to Botswana, the South African Special Forces made an incursion to the outskirts of Gaborone not far from where we were staying. Apparently, the night-raid made the headlines back home and our company contacted the U.S. Embassy to make sure that we were not in danger. The ambassador got a hold of us offering their services if we needed any help.
Although most embassies provide similar services to their citizens, Switzerland, due to its long-standing neutrality holds a very special place in the world playing an important role as a neutral intermediary in international relations. The United States Government has been a beneficiary of Swiss diplomacy. After 54 years, in 2015, the Swiss Ambassador to the United States removed a small golden plate from the Swiss Embassy that identified the Swiss government as the “protecting power” of Cuban interests in the United States. The Swiss had accepted an assignment from President Dwight Eisenhower to act as middleman for communications with Fidel Castro’s regime. During the Cold War the Swiss played a significant role in de-escalating tensions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They helped to secure an agreement with the Cuban government which facilitated the mass exodus of Cuban refugees to the United States, and in 1964, thanks to the efforts of Emile Stadelhofer, the Swiss Ambassador to Havana, Castro abandoned his goal of nationalizing the U.S. Embassy. The Swiss government continues to provide a back-channel between the U.S. and Iran for exchanging communications on an ad hoc basis when tensions run high. They hold a number of other mandates. The Swiss represent Iran in Saudi Arabia, Georgia in Russia, Turkey in Libya, and undoubtedly a number of others. Will Switzerland be able to maintain its neutral position in years to come? The Russian invasion of the Ukraine poses a significant challenge.
Most of us will avail ourselves to the services of the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco. Consulates are like branch offices of the embassies. They are responsible for their fellow citizens handling public administration functions such as issuing passports & visas and addressing social security issues. They play a major role in representing the economic interests of Swiss companies, and American firms wishing to do business with Switzerland.
Checkout the videos & web sites by clicking on the various highlighted links above.