Chile announces closure of five embassies in the world
In order to deal with the crisis caused by the coronavirus, the Chilean government stressed that the measure which affects Romania, Greece, Denmark, Algeria and Syria, will allow to save approximately $ 5 million
The Chilean Government will close five embassies: Greece, Romania, Denmark, Algeria and Syria, which will allow savings of approximately $ 5 million annually, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several media reported that the Foreign Ministry told the ambassadors in these five countries last Friday that they should begin preparations to close the diplomatic missions that they head towards the end of the year.
According to El Mercurio, the foreign minister, Teodor Ribera, commissioned a year ago an internal evaluation with a view to modernizing Chile’s foreign policy and promoting diplomatic missions in those places where the South American nation has the greatest interests.
However, government sources consulted by the aforementioned media admitted that the change in the Foreign Ministry was accelerated by the economic crisis derived from the coronavirus pandemic.
Chile, with 134,150 cases and 1,637 deaths, is one of the Latin American countries most affected by COVID-19. The president, Sebastián Piñera, has not declared a national quarantine, but at the moment almost half of the Chilean population is confined by quarantines in the Metropolitan Region and Greater Santiago.
K. Tovar
Source: dpa
