By Staff Reporter
The Netherlands will close its embassy in Harare as part of a wider restructuring of its global diplomatic network, which will see five missions shut and new ones opened elsewhere
The announcement was made on Tuesday, 15 September, on the official X account of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Zimbabwe.
According to a more detailed statement published on the Dutch government’s website, the embassies in Tripoli (Libya), Bujumbura (Burundi) and Yangon (Myanmar), along with the consulate-general in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), will close as previously announced, in addition to the embassy in Harare.
The Dutch government said its interests in these countries would in future be represented by embassies in neighbouring states
“We recognise that this is significant news for our partners and friends in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, given the many strong relationships we have built over the years,” it said.
The mission, which covers all three countries from Harare, added that the decision formed part of a broader restructuring and “does not change our appreciation for the close ties or our commitment to working with the respective governments and other partners across the region.”
It said it remained focused on “ensuring a careful transition towards closure and continued cooperation.”
The closures form part of a wider rebalancing of the Dutch diplomatic network. The government said it was allocating €35 million towards strengthening its network of embassies and consulates — effectively halving an earlier planned reduction of €70 million to the network’s budget.
It said that the additional funding will be used to open new embassies and invest in existing missions.
