New Zealand Closes Embassy In Sweden Due To Budget Cuts

[News_Editor]

New Zealand closes embassy in Sweden due to budget cuts < br /> 2012-05-16 22:05:58 GMT+7 (ICT) WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- The New Zealand government on Wednesday announced it will close its embassy in the Swedish capital of Stockholm as a result of budget cuts required among diplomatic posts in Europe.New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said the closure of its Stockholm embassy will be accompanied by other measures, including moving into less expensive accommodation, that will save the government about $10 million per year among its diplomatic posts in Europe."New Zealand enjoys an excellent relationship with Sweden and with its Scandinavian neighbors, but in today's world it is not always necessary to have a diplomatic presence to maintain such a relationship," McCully said. "Sweden does not have an embassy in New Zealand and I am confident that we can manage the relationship through an accreditation."The Stockholm embassy was opened by the Labour government of Helen Clark in 2008 but was downsized just months later by the new and current government of Prime Minister John Key, who leads the National Party. "The move is part of a series of decisions that will enable the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet the government's expectations of a $24 million efficiency dividend and then manage within a flatline budget for the next two years," McCully added.New Zealand currently has 29 embassies around the world, including its post in New Zealand.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-05-16

[koheesti]

Why can't the Kiwis just make a deal to share some space in the Australian embassy?

Edited May 16, 2012 by koheesti

[GentlemanJim]

Why can't the Kiwis just make a deal to share some space in the Australian embassy?

Isn't their relationship a bit like the Brits and the French

[jalansanitwong]

Why can't the Kiwis just make a deal to share some space in the Australian embassy?

What makes you think the Australian embassy would have them? I doubt if Australia does much in the area of assisting NZ o/seas. More likely the British help them.

If you had NZ staff sharing your office the first thing to disappear would be the stationary followed by the water fountain then finally the best furniture.

Edited May 17, 2012 by jalansanitwong

[koheesti]

The reason I brought it up is that back in the early-mid 1990's in Estonia (nearby Sweden) the USA & UK shared the same embassy. One building, one entrance, one security check. Walk up the steps and the door on the right was the US Consular and the door on the left the British. I think various Scandinavian embassies also share the same building.

[Exsexyman]

The reason I brought it up is that back in the early-mid 1990's in Estonia (nearby Sweden) the USA & UK shared the same embassy. One building, one entrance, one security check. Walk up the steps and the door on the right was the US Consular and the door on the left the British. I think various Scandinavian embassies also share the same building.

Sounds like a very sensible arrangement to me.

[chooka]

Why can't the Kiwis just make a deal to share some space in the Australian embassy?

What makes you think the Australian embassy would have them? I doubt if Australia does much in the area of assisting NZ o/seas. More likely the British help them.

If you had NZ staff sharing your office the first thing to disappear would be the stationary followed by the water fountain then finally the best furniture.

and your woolen ugg boots

[Berek]

Half of NZ moved to OZ so why not move into the embassy as well As long as they don't mind being picked on when we win all the trans tasman tests

[jalansanitwong]

Half of NZ moved to OZ so why not move into the embassy as well As long as they don't mind being picked on when we win all the trans tasman tests

I wouldn't brag about the cricket. NZ doesn't exactly excell in that field.

[edwinclapham]

Why can't the Kiwis just make a deal to share some space in the Australian embassy?

What makes you think the Australian embassy would have them? I doubt if Australia does much in the area of assisting NZ o/seas. More likely the British help them.

If you had NZ staff sharing your office the first thing to disappear would be the stationary followed by the water fountain then finally the best furniture.

Australian Embassy in Vientiane, which also provides a limited range of emergency consular services to British, Canadian and New Zealand citizens in Laos.

Edited May 18, 2012 by edwinclapham

[geriatrickid]

The Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement is probably the biggest and most extensive agreement in place and its implementation in 1986 is considered one of the best by many foreign services in terms of the cost savings and mutual support it has provided.(At least that's what I've been told.) I pulled the agreement up and its quite broad in its scope making foreign officials agents of the respective crown on their behalf. I now understand why the Australian and Canadian travel advisories look like they are written by the same person, because they often are.

I am surprised NZ doesn't have a similar agreement in place. It's rather silly for a country with a population of a small city to try and maintain diplomatic missions all over the place. As it is, they have missions in Germany, Netherlands, France, Russia, the UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the EU offices. Bit of overkill. They could easily get rid of a few more and save tens of millions of Euro. I don't think relations with Italy or Spain would matter with a closure would they?

[koheesti]

I am surprised NZ doesn't have a similar agreement in place. It's rather silly for a country with a population of a small city to try and maintain diplomatic missions all over the place. As it is, they have missions in Germany, Netherlands, France, Russia, the UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the EU offices. Bit of overkill. They could easily get rid of a few more and save tens of millions of Euro. I don't think relations with Italy or Spain would matter with a closure would they?

If I were a diplomat, I'd rather close up shop in cold, expensive Sweden and keep it in warm, cheaper Italy or Spain.