DUBLIN, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Ireland will open seven new embassies and consulates general starting from 2019 as part of its plan to increase the country's global footprint, announced Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Monday.
Coveny made the announcement at a press conference held here to unveil Global Ireland 2025, a strategy of the Irish government for expanding and deepening the country's presence overseas.
According to the strategy, the new embassies and consulates general to be opened include four embassies and three consulates general, out of which three will be established in Europe, two in Africa, one in Asia and one in North America.
Three new consulates general will be located in Cardiff of Britain, Frankfurt of Germany and Los Angeles of the United States respectively and four embassies to be opened include one in Kiev of Ukraine, one in Rabat of Morocco, one in Monrovia of Liberia, and one in Manila of the Philippines, said Coveney.
The new embassy in Liberia of West Africa will be upgraded from an existing development cooperation office in the country, he added.
Coveney did not specify the time for the opening of each of these new embassies and consulates, but he said that they will be opened "within a tight timeframe."
These increased resources abroad will extend the consular network that supports and protects Irish citizens and serves Irish communities abroad, said Coveney.
They will also help Ireland play our full role in addressing global challenges while meeting moral obligations as global citizens, he said, adding that "Investing in our global presence in the coming years will help safeguard our economic and political wellbeing long into the future."
At the press conference, Coveney also announced that Ireland will increase its annual international aid to 0.7 percent of its Gross National Income (GNI) by the year 2030. Last year Ireland's GNI stood at 240.5 billion euros (283.5 billion U.S. dollars), which means the annual international aid committed by Ireland by 2030 will be far above two billion euros (2.4 billion U.S. dollars).
Currently Ireland has 80 embassies, consulates and representative offices across the world, according to Coveney.(1 euro=1.179 U.S. dollars)
