Claudia Fritsche, the ambassador and permanent representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, spoke in Macon last week as part of an effort by two attorneys to foster international relationships between the central Georgia city and often overlooked countries with potential for economic and cultural exchange.
Ms. Fritsche, who is also president of the International Association of Permanent Representatives to the U.N., spoke to Macon businesspeople, academics and government officials on her first visit to Georgia, organized by attorneys Christopher Smith and Frank Horne. She later spoke to members of the Macon Council on World Affairs, an organization that invites high-level speakers for discussions on international topics.
Mr. Smith, who helped bring Philip Dimitrov, the Bulgarian ambassador to the U.S., to Macon and Atlanta last year, told GlobalFax in an interview that through cultural, academic and tourism exchanges with Liechtenstein, stronger economic ties can be created.
The country, which has a strong international financial services sector, is looking to further its attractiveness as a tourist destination by promoting its mountainous terrain and well-known royal art collection. Mr. Smith said he hopes that the exposure to Liechtenstein through the ambassador’s visit will create more tourism between Macon and that country, as well as facilitate an exhibit of the royal art collection at Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences.
There are also opportunities for Macon’s Weselyan College to create an academic exchange with Liechtenstein, he said, as the country has no university and relies on agreements with neighboring Switzerland, Austria and Germany to educate its students.
Representatives of the country have been invited to attend next year’s Cherry Blossom Festival, an event that has helped Macon strengthen ties with Japan, United Kingdom and Finland, he said.
Companies interested in economic and other exchanges with Liechtenstein should call Mr. Smith at (912) 477-8145.