SIDA Representation in Phnom Penh to Become an Embassy

The Swedish Development Cooperation Section in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, will be upgraded to a full flexed Embassy as part of the Swedish Government’s decision to close down its current embassies in Bratislava, Dakar, Dublin, Ljubljana, Luxembourg and Sofia. SIDA offices in nine other countries elsewhere in the world will likewise be upgraded to embassies.
As ScandAsia understands, the Swedish representation in Phnom Penh will be upgraded within this year. What is unclear, also to the staff currently working in Phnom Penh, is to what extent the current representation will be upgraded. The new head could for instance be either an attaché or an ambassador.
Cambodia is currently covered by the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok.
The changes were communicated by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm on Thursday last week. Foreign Minister Carl Bildt explained the closure of six embassies and the upgrading of ten with a need to maximize the benefit of the cost of the Swedish presence abroad.
SIDA minister Gunilla Carlsson added:
“The upgrading of the division offices to embassies supports the implementation of the Swedish-funded activities in the countries where we are engaged in long-term development cooperation. A stronger presence on the ground is extremely important for the implementation of effective, quality and results-driven development cooperation.”
Sweden has opened 40 embassies and closed down 54 from 1990 to 2010.

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