The Netherlands has reversed a plan to close its embassy in South Sudan, citing the country’s humanitarian situation.
The Dutch government said the embassy in Juba would remain open as part of a wider review of its diplomatic network.
The decision was announced by Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen on Tuesday as the government allocated €35m to strengthen its network of embassies and consulates.
The additional funding partly reverses an earlier planned €70m cut to the diplomatic network’s structural budget, the government said.
The Netherlands had previously announced plans to close its embassy in Juba as part of efforts to reduce spending on its overseas missions.
In its latest announcement, the Dutch government said the decision to reverse the closure was due to “the humanitarian situation in South Sudan”.
The embassy in Juba provides diplomatic representation for the Netherlands in South Sudan. Its continued operation comes as the country faces ongoing political and security challenges and a severe humanitarian situation.
The Netherlands will, however, close its embassies in Libya, Burundi, Myanmar and Zimbabwe, as well as its consulate-general in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dutch interests in those countries will be handled by missions in neighbouring states, the government said.
The Dutch government also plans to strengthen its diplomatic presence in Damascus and is considering opening new embassies in Montenegro and Namibia.
The Netherlands currently has 113 embassies and 27 consulates-general around the world.
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