Embassy closure and funding cuts for NATO, what is the UN planning for the Balkans?

Two important American newspapers “The York Times” and “Washington Post” report that US President Donald Trump's government is looking into the possibilities for 50 percent cuts in the State Department budget. The administration is also planning the closure of 10 embassies and 17 consulates, as well as the reduction or unification of staff of some other diplomatic representatives abroad. “The York Times” and “Washington Post” refer to an internal State Department document, broadcast Periscope.

Part of the plans is the reduction of spending on humanitarian aid, global health and international organisations such as the United Nations and NATO. The document recommends the closure of two small embassies in Europe in Luxembourg and Malta as well as the closure of diplomatic missions in Grenada and Maldives. Most of the consulates recommended to be closed are located in Europe and include some popular American tourist destinations. Five of the consulates are located in France in Bordeaux (Bordo), Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, and Strasbourg. Two are in Germany in Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Two others -- Mostar and Banjaluk -- are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The document also suggests closing consulates in Thessaloniki, Greece; Florence, Italy; Ponta Delgada, Portugal, and Edinburgh. Outside of Europe, the closure of four other consulates is recommended: in Douala, Cameroon; Medan, Indonesia; Durban, South Africa; and Busan, South Korea. Six of the embassies the document proposes for closure are located in Africa -- in the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambi, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo and South Sudan. It is recommended that their functions be passed on to embassies in neighboring countries.

“Washington Post” writes: “Any plan for drastic financing cuts and job removal is expected to further damage morale in the State Department, where many of the ordinary employees have expected the return of the duty Trump would bring a major shock. The question being put on is: From the low point of current morality, can they find an even lower point? Neumann, a former career diplomat who served as ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and Afghanistan”.

While “The York Times” underlines: “If implemented, the proposed cuts would mean that the United States would have a smaller diplomatic presence than China in Europe, where American representatives currently exceed Chinese, according to data collected by the Lawy Institute, an institute for Sydney-based foreign policy. It also meant that the United States would remain even behind compared to the Chinese presence in Africa and East Asia, where Chinese missions are currently more than American”.

The document, writes “The New York Times”, also describes a complete cut in funding for international peacekeeping missions, citing the latest “loss of missions”, without providing further details. /a2cn