The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering closing nearly 30 foreign embassies and consulates as it prepares to make significant changes to its diplomatic presence around the world, including two consulates in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The document was revealed in an internal State Department document obtained by CNN.
The document recommends reducing the presence of US diplomatic missions in Somalia and Iraq, two countries that have been key to US counterterrorism efforts, and changing the size of other diplomatic posts.
The proposed changes come amid a broader overhaul of the US diplomatic network as the Trump administration, led by the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk, makes dramatic efforts to cut federal government spending. It has not been confirmed whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on the proposed closures.
The document recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates. Many of them are in Europe and Africa, although it also includes those in Asia and the Caribbean. They include embassies in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The list also includes five consulates in France, two in Germany, two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in the United Kingdom, one in South Africa and one in South Korea.
The document suggests that the duties of the closed embassies be covered by missions in neighboring countries.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce would not comment on the internal document or on plans to drastically reduce the State Department.
“I would suggest that you check with the White House and the president of the United States as they continue to work on their budget plan and what they submit to Congress. The types of numbers and what we typically see are reports that are premature or inaccurate, based on leaked documents from unknown sources,” Bruce said.
The Trump administration has only announced ambassadorial nominees for two of the embassies recommended for closure, Malta and Luxembourg.
CNN reported in March that the State Department intends to close some of the consulates listed in an internal document.
