May 27, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Claudia Fritsche, ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United States, will present a free, public lecture at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at Heritage Hall, Room 124, 1401 University Blvd.

Fritsche's lecture is titled "Relations Between the European Union and the United States: Issues and Prospects." The event is sponsored by the UAB Department of Government's International Studies Program.

Fritsche will cover issues such as tax and banking policies and topics related to transatlantic relations, both political and economic.

"The topic is a big deal right now with the EU because of their bank secrecy laws," said UAB Professor Nikolaos Zahariadis, Ph.D., who directs the UAB International Studies Program. U.S. President Barack Obama has been looking into closing loopholes regarding taxation of companies overseas, Zahariadis said.

Fritsche became a diplomatic officer in the Office of Foreign Affairs for the Principality of Liechtenstein in 1978. In 1988, she was named first secretary of the Embassy of Liechtenstein in Vienna. Two years later, in 1990, she was appointed ambassador to the United Nations in New York. She became a resident ambassador in Washington, D.C., in 2002.

About UAB

The UAB Department of Government offers bachelor's degrees in political science and international studies as well as a Master in Public Administration. Students also can earn a minor in urban affairs.