Foreign Ministry to close Czech embassies and consulates to cut costs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be closing between five and ten Czech embassies and consulates as a cost cutting measure. Speaking to Czech Television on Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Kohout said the embassies in question had not yet been chosen, however they would be places where the Czech diplomats “do not see a great deal of added value”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs closed six consulates and embassies in recent years, reportedly saving 120 million crowns. Mr Kohout said the choice of which diplomatic centres to close would depend on the final version of the 2010 budget, which is currently being discussed by the government.