Gov’t spends US$ millions on new embassies world wide

• Published on Friday, 07 March 2014 22:04

YANGON - Myanmar has spent US$ 1.3 billion building a new embassy in Bangkok, the most expensive among 18 new embassies being opened in major cities around the world, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry has disclosed on March 6 that the government is spending millions of dollars in public funds to open up diplomatic offices around the world, while the country still struggles to provide basic services such as water and electricity.

“Myanmar is now opening counselling offices including embassies and permanent representative offices in 40 major cities around the world to carry out diplomatic affairs. Moreover, the lands as state owned ones, were bought in other 18 cities for the opening of embassies,” said Tin Oo Lwin, deputy minister for foreign affairs.

Tin Oo Lwin was addressing Myanmar’s Upper House in Nay Pyi Taw where he disclosed that Myanmar both bought the land and built the new embassy in Bangkok rather than hire an already existing building.

The biggest spenders following Bangkok were New Delhi (US$ 427 million), Tokyo (US$ 246 million), London (US$ 34.65 million), New York (US$ 26 million) and Singapore (US$ 15.63 million).

Other embassies are being opened Washington, Paris, Berlin, Cairo, Islamabad, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Vienna, Kunming, Vientiane, Seoul and Jakarta, all costing in the millions of dollars.

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5305:gov-t-spends-us-millions-on-new-embassies-world-wide&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

Those figures can't be right? Can they?

1.3 billion usd for an embassy in thailand? you have got to be joking

The figures for London and New York look kind of believable, but Bangkok, New Delhi and Tokyo?

Unless of course this is the new way for the Generals to get money out of the country..... then it all makes perfect sense.