Switzerland to set up a dedicated embassy to the Vatican

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss government has decided to set up a dedicated embassy to the Vatican. Switzerland’s ambassador to Slovenia is currently responsible for diplomatic relations with the Holy See. A government statement Friday said it determined that the current arrangement “no longer allows all the work entailed by Switzerland’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See to be accomplished efficiently.” It pointed to a sharp rise in high-level official visits over recent years. Switzerland has been diplomatically represented at the Vatican since 1991, though the post of ambassador was held by diplomats based in Bern, Geneva, Prague and since 2014, Slovenia’s capital. The new embassy will also manage relations with Malta and San Marino.