Britain and Canada announced plans Monday to share diplomatic missions abroad, in a move aimed at co-ordinating business interests while cutting costs at the same time, the Foreign Office in London said. Details were expected to be announced in Ottawa later Monday by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and his Canadian counterpart, John Baird. The proposals involve "co-locating" embassies and sharing consular services in countries where one of the nations does not have an embassy, a spokesman said.
"We have stood shoulder to shoulder from the great wars of the last century to fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and supporting Arab Spring nations like Libya and Syria. We are first cousins," Hague said in a statement ahead of the signing of an agreement in Ottawa.
"So it is natural that we look to link up our embassies with Canada's in places where that suits both countries. It will give us a bigger reach abroad for our businesses and people for less cost," added Hague. The move comes after a strategic review of Britain's diplomatic services under Hague, which the Foreign Office says is aimed at reducing costs while also bringing British diplomacy in line with 21st century requirements.
In a keynote speech in August, Hague called for Britain to shed its "post-colonial guilt" going back to the days of the empire and to seek "new and equal partnerships" with countries unburdened by past history. Britain is currently seeking to expand its diplomatic presence across Asia, Africa and Latin America in an effort to boost bilateral ties and enhance economic and trade opportunities. The plan is to deploy an extra 300 diplomatic staff in the "fastest-growing cities and regions" in about 20 countries by 2015.
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