The ongoing dollar deficit in Sri Lanka has also affected the embassy service, where the maintenance of Sri Lankan embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world has become a major burden for the Ministry of External Affairs.
In the backdrop, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo, Norway will be closed from March 31. Accordingly, the diplomatic relations with Iraq will be maintained through the Consulate General in Dubai and diplomatic relations with Norway through the Consulate General in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Consulate General in Sydney, Australia will also be closed on March 31 and will operate through the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra.
The number of Sri Lankan missions will drop to 60 after March 31, 2022 and their implementations are likely to meet a major crisis in the face of the dollar deficit. The situation could be endangering further diplomatic missions in the future as well.
Several embassies and consulates were closed due to the dollar crisis on a previous occasion as well.
MIAP
