Denmark to close three embassies, open two

Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal announced Monday Denmark will shutter embassies in Iraq, Benin and Zambia while opening two others. The closures are the result of savings efforts the Foreign Ministry must undertake, as well as a shift in priorities. The Baghdad Embassy, opened in 2004, will be closed by the end of July. Denmark was one of the first countries to establish an embassy in Iraq. "A modern Foreign Services must ensure that Denmark has the right presence to ensure proper safeguarding of Denmark's global interests," Sovndal told The Copenhagen Post. As a result of Denmark's decision to phase out aid to Benin and Zambia, the two embassies will be closed in 2014. However, the Foreign Ministry has plans to open new embassies in Libya and Myanmar.