With an eye to today’s evolving geopolitical context, the government is allocating €35 million for strengthening the Netherlands’ network of embassies and consulates. The move halves the earlier structural reduction of the mission network's budget by €70 million. The extra money will be used to open new embassies and invest in existing ones. This was the message set out by Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen today in a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives.
‘Our embassies are crucial in order to effectively promote the interests of our Kingdom. They are the eyes, ears and voice of the Netherlands abroad,’ he stressed. ‘It is important for us to continually adapt the mission network with a view to geopolitical developments, and to make careful decisions on how and where Dutch interests will best be served. To do this, we must take account of our own ambitions and economic interests, and our duty of care for Dutch nationals abroad.’
Enhanced Benelux cooperation
In a reversal of a decision by the previous government, the Dutch consulate-general in Antwerp will now remain open. ‘The consulate-general plays an important role in supporting businesses and other organisations in the region, including those concerned with energy, logistics and port cooperation. In light of this, and given our long-standing close economic ties with Belgium, I have decided to keep the consulate-general open,’ said Mr Berendsen. The government will also explore the option of eventually opening embassies in Podgorica (Montenegro) and Windhoek (Namibia), in collaboration with Belgium and Luxembourg. In view of Dutch interests relating to migration, security and stability, the Netherlands' diplomatic presence in Damascus will be intensified.
Due to the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the planned closure of the embassy in Juba has also been reversed. Finally, the government intends to relocate the consulate-general in Atlanta to Houston, as the economic dynamism in Texas is well suited to Dutch growth sectors such as hightech/semiconductors, energy, water and infrastructure. Texas also has a strong defence industry.
Mission closures
The embassies in Tripoli (Libya), Bujumbura (Burundi) and Yangon (Myanmar) and the consulate-general in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) will close, as previously announced. In addition, the embassy in Harare (Zimbabwe) will also be closed. Dutch interests in these countries will be promoted by embassies in neighbouring countries.
The Netherlands currently has 113 embassies and 27 consulates-general around the world. These diplomatic missions are active worldwide in the service of Dutch interests.