The Embassy of Switzerland in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
represents
Switzerland's
diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
in Singapore. It is located at 1 Swiss Club Link in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
.
H.E. Frank Grütter serves as Ambassador (as of August 2022).
Switzerland operates
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and
Brunei Darussalam
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the ...
consulate general offices in Singapore.
History
Switzerland first established an honorary consulate in Singapore in March 1917 in response to issues faced by Swiss businesses in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
due to trading restrictions that were compounded by a lacking diplomatic network, with one of its first tasks being to administer a community-raised fund to help impoverished Swiss citizens residing in or transiting Singapore. The consulate was first located in the Singapore offices of
Diethlem & Co. (located on
Collyer Quay
Collyer Quay () is a road in Downtown Core, Singapore that starts after Fullerton Road and ends at the junction of Raffles Quay, Finlayson Green and Marina Boulevard. The road houses several landmarks namely, Clifford Pier, Change Alley, Hit ...
before being moved in late 1917 to
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
after the company's new building there was finished) before shifting to the second floor of Union Building in
Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar (New Rumi Spelling, alternatively spelled ''Tanjung Pagar'') is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram, Singapore, Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the ...
in 1933, with employees of the company going on to serve as honorary consuls. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the consulate hosted refugees between February and March 1942. The mission was upgraded to a formal consulate in 1960 and to an embassy in 1967.
The current site was acquired from the Swiss Club in 1983, with 8,000 square meters of land being leased for ninety-nine years. Administrative and residence buildings were completed in 1985 while the main chancery was completed in 1987. The effects of the tropical climate necessitate its reconstruction, with a new complex planned in 2021 to be built, finished by 2023.
See also
*
Foreign relations of Switzerland
The foreign relations of Switzerland are the primary responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Some international relations of Switzerland are handled by other departments of the federal administration of Switzerland.
...
*
List of diplomatic missions of Switzerland
References
External links
Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore
Switzerland
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
Singapore–Switzerland relations
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