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From: B-Haile (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Apr 09 2011 - 16:10:30 EDT
Netherlands to close nine embassies
Published on : 8 April 2011 - 2:24pm | By John Tyler
Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal plans to close nine Dutch embassies as part of an effort to modernise embassy services and re-focus the priorities for Dutch foreign policy. Dutch economic interests will now take centre stage abroad, while development aid is being reduced.
Embassies will be closed in four African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eritrea and Zambia) and five in South and Central America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Uruguay). Three of these countries will no longer receive direct development aid from the Dutch government, and therefore no longer need a Dutch embassy. In the other countries, the cost of maintaining an embassy is seen as too high compared to Dutch interests there.
Dutch interests
In addition to the closures, the foreign ministry will open two new diplmatic missions in countries where Dutch economic interest is growing - one in Panama City, and one in the Chinese city of Chengdu. In Tanzania, an embassy will be downgraded to an economic mission.
The two main organisations representing business interests in the Netherlands have both welcomed the closures. They say businesses are making increasing use of Dutch embassy services, and they look forward to the more "flexible and effective" Dutch representation abroad.
Bernard Wientjes is the chairman of Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW).
"In terms of the budget cuts, particularly cutting the embassies which are less important to Dutch interests, and reducing the non-economic departments in other embassies, we whole-heartedly approve."
No investment in development
Mr Wientjes has good reason to be pleased. The changes mark a reverse in a long-standing trend in Dutch foreign policy. A number of embassies were opened in the last two decades precisely to facilitate development work. The embassy in Cameroon, for instance, was opened just five years ago as a focal point for development aid in the entire region.
The opposition Labour Party, whose ministers largely shaped development policy over the years, says Minister Rosenthal's new foreign policy lacks vision. Labour MP Frans Timmermans regrets the changes announced today.
'If the world is unstable, if there's no investment in security, no investment in development, no investment in international contacts and participation in creating a better world order, there will also be less opportunities for our businesses to sell goods worldwide.'
Trade investment
But retired Dutch diplomat Piet Buwalda told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that the closures make sense in the long term. He says the primary function of an embassy is for bilateral contact between governments. But in many smaller countries, that contact can be centralised, while services for Dutch citizens living abroad can be done at the consular level.
While the embassy closures will save the foreign ministry some money, Foreign Minister Rosenthal plans to invest 8 million euros in improving the economic aspects of Dutch representation abroad.
John Tyler speaking with Minister Rosenthal
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/netherlands-close-nine-embassies
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