Sri Lanka has decided to shut down its embassies in Norway and Baghdad and also its consulate in Sydney by the end of April. A statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry says that the decision has been taken after careful deliberation and the closure is temporary.

The debt-ridden country had in December last year closed its embassy in Nigeria, consulates in Frankfurt, Germany, and Cyprus from January 2022.

The closure of the foreign missions comes on the heels of a debilitating funds crunch caused by declining foreign exchange reserves over the past many months. Rising food prices and shortage of essential commodities has led to violent protests by the masses.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry says that the decision to temporarily close the two Missions and Post was taken by the government as part of "a general restructuring of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic representation overseas", undertaken by the Foreign Ministry in the context of the current economic situation and foreign currency constraints faced by the country, reports website Ada Derana. 

The Sri Lankan ambassador in Stockholm, Sweden, will be accredited to Norway, and the ambassador in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, will be accredited to Iraq. Consular services related to the Consulate General in Sydney will be managed by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra, Australia.  

The statement added that the Foreign Ministry will carefully monitor the transition process. It added that these decisions will not impact Sri Lanka’s relations with Norway and Iraq.  

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