The Macon-Bibb County Global Affairs Coalition – formerly known as the Sister City Commission – will host His Excellency Kurt Jaeger, Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the United States of America, for a presentation on Thursday, February 23, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. The presentation will be held in Commission Chambers at Government Center (700 Poplar Street) and is open to the public.
Ambassador Jaeger will deliver a speech titled The Relationship of Liechtenstein with the European Union as a Model in a Post-Brexit World. The presentation is part of a two-day visit to Georgia that will include a tour of the Ocmulgee National Monument, meeting with Sheriff David Davis, meeting with Mayor Robert Reichert, touring the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, meeting with Georgia’s Commissioner for Economic Development, and speaking at the Goethe Zentrum German Cultural Center in Midtown Atlanta.
“In today’s changing international political scene, Liechtenstein is emerging as an interesting example to other counties for how Liechtenstein works with the European Union and its member nations,” says Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Southern and Southeastern United States of America, Dr. Bruce Allen. “This is a highly cogent topic, and Ambassador Jaeger has considerable experience in this field having served in Brussels at the EU Headquarters for several years. Anyone interested in international relations – from high school and college students to teachers and professors to international business owners – could find this speech especially fascinating.”
Over the last six months the U.S., European, and transatlantic community have found themselves in the midst of processing the implications of what are perceived as major turning points. The so called “Brexit,” where the British people voted to pull out of the European Union (EU), and the U.S. elections have called into question the status quo of the U.S.-European relationship and the future of the EU. As a non-EU member located in Central Europe, the Principality of Liechtenstein has an unique relationship within Europe. It has a highly industrialized and prosperous economy while also maintaining active international relationships.
About Ambassador Jaeger
Prior to his August 2016 posting in Washington, Ambassador Jaeger was Liechtenstein’s envoy in Brussels, where he served for six years as Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium. Prior to that, he was elected to be one of three members of the Board of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority in charge of monitoring and enforcing European Union law in the European Economic Area (EEA). Ambassador Jaeger has over 25 years of experience in international regulatory affairs and a deep understanding of how trade and political relations occur between nations both within and outside of the European Union.
