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February 14, 2012
Sweden in major embassy shake-up
Published: 21 Jan 10 12:07 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24512/20100121/
Sweden announced on Thursday it will shutter six embassies by the end of the year, while at the same time opening ten new embassies to help carry out its foreign aid programmes.
- Millions in Swedish aid headed to quake-hit Haiti (19 Jan 10)
- Sida officials reject aid minister's criticism (22 Dec 09)
- Bildt blasts Belarus over student's expulsion (9 Dec 09)
“Within the framework of the close cooperation that exists between the EU Member States, there is scope for developing new forms for maintaining bilateral contacts in future,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt said in a statement.
“We want to be where we make the best possible use of the money that a Swedish presence costs. It is positive that we can use our resources to strengthen Sweden's presence in a number of nearby countries.”
In Europe, Sweden plans to upgrade existing section offices to full embassies in Pristina (Kosovo), Tbilisi (Georgia), Chisinau (Moldova) and Tirana (Albania).
In addition, Sweden will boost its presence in West Africa by expanding existing section offices in Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Monrovia (Liberia) into embassies.
Section offices will also be upgraded to embassies in Kigali (Rwanda), La Paz (Bolivia) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia).
“Upgrading section offices to embassies is part of the process of supporting the implementation of Swedish-financed development assistance contributions in countries with which we conduct long-term development cooperation,” said Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.
Including the changes announced on Thursday, Sweden will have opened 40 and closed 54 foreign missions between 1990 and the end of 2010.
David Landes
news@thelocal.se
+46 8 656 6513
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It seems like a huge waste of taxpayers' money. On the other hand, Sweden is one of the best countries when it comes to wasting taxpayers' money...
Would it not be better to have a single EU embassy in countries that lay outside of the EU? Why does every little European country need to have its' own little Embassy in every little war torn cr@phole around the world?
Spot on
That is a really good idea for all the countries in the EU to just use an all EU embassy across the world.
One of the purposes of having a foreign mission is to foster trade and diplomatic relations. While sharing space with other EU member states may be practical in some ways, I don't believe setting up your stall under the same roof as your competitor is always the shrewdest move.
As I understand it Sweden is building out missions in the regions where it is engaging in economic development projects. Meeting with foreign government or business representatives at a shared EU mission in an economic development zone would allow prospects the ability to go down the hall for a second and perhaps better offer from France or Germany. It also informs Sweden's competitors when and who Sweden is consulting. It is advantageous for Sweden to represent the Swedish brand, in some cases exclusive of EU member states to ensure that Swedish companies, workers and products are presented to the local governments and businesses in the most productive manner.
Sorry, I was being sarcastic. Having more of an ambassadoral presence in these proposed countries will not be good for Sweden.
No one is more irritant as you are to all of us. Just thought you should know that!
@ Others who don't know Beynch
He is one of those anti-anyeone-smell-sound-non-European so he doesn't give a damn about people in these countries he just doesn't want to see them around!! Perhaps dark colours bother his eyes.
Let him enjoy his monologous debate. No one responds anymore...but thanks for informing others.
Contributions are repetitive and simplistic and certainly not worth attending to. Maybe a prayer for him for when the hatred comes home to roost.
So go in peace iraniboy. Dont worry about "that" character.
That amount of hatred NEVER ends well.
"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease"
.....Sooner or later.
On the idea of having one EU embassy in every country ouside the EU Im not sure its such a god idea. A couple of years back we were in Nha Thrang in Veitnam and a violent typoon was on the way from the Philipeans. We emailed the Swedish embassy and the Irish embassy as to what to do as we saw on TV that the army were starting to evacuate people. The Swedish embasies in Hanois responce was " These things happen Vietnam is a 3rd world country" However the Irish embassy rang our hotel to make sur ewe were ok and advised us to leave the area just in case. People will also remember whata terrible job the Swedish embassies in Thailand did when the tsunami hit.
Embassies arent as "needed" in a place until a disaster strikes (which can be anywhere) Then they essential. Otherwise they are just used for updating your passport, voting from abraod etc.
Im sure the embassy in Dublin could have been kept open had they not rented one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the city.
Its a place where you turn to if your stuck in a foreign land and need help!
courage and outrage against America's War Crimes and distancing ourselves from being associated with them and their policies. A move that would make our citizens safer and not targets of america's enemies
Remember that Carl Bildt is the only foreign member invited to sit on the board of the the Rand Corporation america's premier think tank for it's military industrial complex.
When you look at the names of the embassies that are being beefed-up and as we know embassies are also the source of covert operations and espionage
Kosovo/Europe... Pipeline routes and camp bondsteel
Bolivia... leftist president recently ceased co-operating with america's DEA/CIA covert operations and strong supporter of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian revolution that is seeking to throw off the shackle centuries of American oppression and explotation.
Liberia/west Africa... recent Muslim uprisings and threat to american oil and strategic interests and a suggested possible sites of american bases in Africa
Georgia...American strategic interest part of America's planned color revolutions and now possible Nato candidate.
It becomes necessary to ask why us, why there, why now and for who's purpose.
Good questions. A culture that can't maintain population will perish. In some ways Sweden is poorer than Haiti.
Why Carl Bidt just to cut the budget instead of shutting down of embassies. I think this is a political motivation. Carl Bidt PLS> THINK TWICE AND WISELY.. not just building a good image to your political ambitions.
Ireland can now feel free to close its embassy in Stockholm and run its Swedish business from more important cities such as Helsinki or Riga.