Gov't Lessens Cuts By Closing Six Embassies & 2 Consulates Abroad

 (Photo credit: maureenclare)

Unconfirmed news reports claim that the Greek government is getting set to cut back in expenses, or as part of a $17.45 billion spending cut to please the Troika, by closing down six embassies and two consulates. Part of the savings include the elimination of the diplomatic missions in the eight cities, while others around the world will be spared from cuts.

The embassies that are set to shut down are located in Hanoi, Lima, Montevideo, Wellington, Khartoum and Harare, while the consulates that will be terminated are in Atlanta and Perth. The initial list of diplomatic offices also included the consulate in Los Angeles,  but a last-minute reprieve from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitri Avramopoulos, saved it.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Greece does not close embassies and consulates so the rest can continue spending. "We have asked all of our employees abroad to try and reduce their costs. We don’t close these offices just for the costs, as the global map is changing and the Greek foreign Policy is shaped accordingly we may need to make changes, for example we are also opening a new economic office in Erbil (Iraq) that is of great economic significance in the area.”