dent;
Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Monica WEBER, president; Ticino
League, Giuliano BIGNASCA, president; and other minor parties
including the Automobile Party (AP), Swiss Democratic Party (SD),
Workers' Party (PdA), and the Evangelical People's Party (EVP); note -
see elections

Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE,
CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN (observer),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UNTSO,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador M. Larry LAWRENCE
embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44
branch office: Geneva
consulate(s) general: Zurich

Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center
that does not extend to the edges of the flag

@Switzerland:Economy

Overview: Switzerland's economy - one of the most prosperous and
stable in the world - is nonetheless undergoing a stressful adjustment
after both the inflationary boom of the late 1980s and the
electorate's rejection of membership in the European Economic Area
(EEA) in 1992. So far the decision to remain outside the European
single market structure does not appear to have harmed Swiss
interests. In December 1994, the Swiss began bilateral negotiations
with the EU aimed at establishing closer ties in areas of mutual
interest and progressing toward the free circulation of persons,
goods, capital, and services between the two parties. The Swiss
emerged from a three-year recession in mid-1993 and posted 1.8% GDP
growth in 1994. The Swiss central bank's tight monetary policies
brought inflation down from about 4% in 1992 to just under 1% in 1994.
Unemployment has fallen slightly from 5.1% in 1993 to 4.7% in 1994.
Swiss per capita output, li