Bern will strengthen diplomatic relations with the Holy See

The Swiss Confederation will establish an embassy for the Vatican City State, which will also deal in Rome with Malta and San Marino

In response to the increase in diplomatic functions recorded in recent years, at its meeting on October 1, 2021, the Federal Council decided to establish in Rome the Embassy of Switzerland to the Holy See.
The aim of the project is to make better use of the potential for bilateral cooperation in the priority foreign policy areas of the Confederation.
It is planned that the Embassy of Switzerland to the Holy See will also be responsible for relations with Malta and San Marino. The Foreign Policy Committees of Parliament will be consulted shortly.

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Increased bilateral cooperation, unmanageable by Ljubljana

It is since 2014 that the ambassador of Switzerland residing in Slovenia is also accredited to the Holy See. This situation no longer allows the effective performance of all diplomatic functions specific to bilateral relations with the Holy See.
In recent years, in fact, high-level official visits from Switzerland, which require preparation, accompaniment and continuous diplomatic management on site, have increased considerably.
The establishment of the new Embassy of Switzerland in Rome will allow to deepen and concretize the potential of collaboration between the Swiss Confederation and the Holy See on common foreign policy priority issues, ranging from peace promotion to sustainable development: all central themes of the Foreign Policy Strategy 2020-2023 of the Federal Council.
The presence of a diplomatic representation on site will also allow for a more regular dialogue with the Holy See on domestic policy issues of importance to bilateral relations.

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Outcome of a long historical process, unilateral from the… 1586

Bilateral relations between the Confederation and the Holy See are intense and complex. The Holy See has had diplomatic representation in our country since 1586, with an interruption between 1873 and 1920. Switzerland, instead, has been represented at the Holy See only since 1991.
In these years the function of ambassador has been exercised from Bern, Prague, Geneva, again from Bern and finally from Ljubljana. Today’s decision of the Federal Council aims therefore at strengthening the diplomatic presence of the Confederation at the Holy See, in line with the will expressed by the Executive for the last 30 years.
The fact of establishing in Rome the Embassy of Switzerland to the Holy See does not change the relations between the Confederation and the Christian churches, Catholic and Reformed, and the full respect of federal and cantonal competencies is guaranteed.

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The Federal Council also intends to take advantage of this opportunity to create a multiple diplomatic accreditation that will include, in addition to the Holy See, Malta and San Marino.
As far as Malta is concerned, multiple accreditation will make it possible to deepen bilateral relations within the framework of Switzerland’s European policy. It will also make it possible to closely follow developments in the central Mediterranean, in particular the evolution of migratory flows.
The next step will be for the Federal Council to consult the Foreign Policy Committees, as required by the Parliament Act in the case of changes to the external network.

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