Liechtenstein and Switzerland: Trade Agreements

(asked on 15th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with their counterparts in Lichtenstein on the potential effect on that nation of Switzerland ending negotiations for a bilateral agreement with the EU.


Answered by
Wendy Morton Portrait
Wendy Morton
This question was answered on 21st June 2021

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) engages with Swiss and Liechtenstein counterparts on a regular basis on the full range of bilateral interests, including our respective EU relations. We have spoken with officials from both countries following Switzerland's decision to end negotiations with the EU towards a proposed Institutional Framework Agreement.

Switzerland has emphasised the shared Swiss-EU interest in safeguarding existing bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU, and has proposed a political dialogue with the EU to develop new strands of future cooperation. We note that Liechtenstein has a different relationship with the EU to that of Switzerland, due to Liechtenstein's membership of the European Economic Area (EEA). We will continue to monitor any impact on Liechtenstein as a result of the Swiss decision to end negotiations.

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