The foreign minister, Villy Søvndal, has announced that Denmark will close its embassies in Iraq, Benin and Zambia, Berlingske newspaper reports.
The embassy in Baghdad will be shut down by the end of July. Denmark was one of the first countries to establish an embassy in the Iraqi capital in 2004.
Søvndal told Berlingske that the closing of the Baghdad embassy is part of a change in priorities.
“A modern Foreign Services must ensure that Denmark has the right presence to ensure proper safeguarding of Denmark’s global interests,” Søvndal said.
Søvndal also added that the embassy closings were also in part due to the savings efforts the Foreign Ministry has been forced to undertake.
The Benin and Zambia embassies will close in 2014 as a consequence of DenmarkÂ’s decision to phase out aid to the two African countries.
Berlingske reports that the Foreign Ministry has plans to open new embassies in Libya and Myanmar.
