Sweden to Close Down Embassy in the Philippines

The Swedish government is set to close its embassy in Manila by next year on or before June 30, 2008 a statement in the embassy’s Web site revealed December 20, 2007.
It said the decision to close the embassy is part of a Swedish foreign ministry review of its organizations abroad. “This is an ongoing process which sometimes leads to Sweden opening new or closing existing embassies and consulates. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs must also adapt its organization abroad to its budget and meet the demands for streamlining that apply to all ministries and government agencies,” the advisory said.
After the closure, Filipinos applying for visas to Sweden will go to another Schengen Embassy in Manila while an honorary consulate will be established to provide basic consular support to Swedish citizens.
“Other duties, such as commercial and political issues, will be handled by another Swedish embassy in the region through accreditation,” it said.
The full announcement can be read at http://www.swedenabroad.com/Start____18623.aspx.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *