The Grand Duchy has 163 diplomats, 99 men and 64 women. These are spread over 51 diplomatic missions around the world: 32 embassies, 13 permanent representations, and six consulates. There are plans for other embassies in South Korea and Costa Rica, as well as a representation in Benin. Several countries are frequently represented by a single embassy. In some situations, Belgian or Dutch embassies can also assist Luxembourgers abroad.
The work of embassies has become more difficult as a result of the war in Ukraine and other crises, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn. This is true not only for Moscow, but also for Prague, where the Luxembourgish embassy is also responsible for Ukraine, owing to the fact that Luxembourg never had an embassy in Ukraine.
Europe does not only focus on itself, which is why travel is so important, according to Asselborn. Just as important, however, is “helping those who need help.” More than 4,000 Ukrainians are currently still in the country. Almost 2,300 people from other countries applied for protection in 2022. Luxembourg is among the top three EU countries in terms of requests per inhabitant.
However, Luxembourg is also popular as a country of immigration. Over 9,000 residence permits were issued last year, a 40% increase over the previous year. Asselborn stressed that these people come to Luxembourg to work and are needed.
The challenges are great, notably those associated with EU enlargement, Asselborn indicated.
“For me, it is one of the biggest challenges for the next ten years,” Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs said. Ukraine and Moldova have candidate status, and if all countries in the queue to join the EU are included, the EU would have 35 member states rather than the present 27. Asselborn warned that “with so many countries, the current treaties would no longer work,” and he urged that a debate begin “as soon as possible.”
For Asselborn, one of the greatest achievements is the Schengen area: “The whole world envies us for Schengen. A single visa is enough to enter 25 countries. If we question this because we believe domestically that we as a government have to stand up for the security of our country, we are mistaken. Once Schengen is down, once it collapses, it cannot be rebuilt,” the Minister stressed.
By the way, if you are travelling to a country where there may be issues, you can register your stay ahead of time to get better help in the event of an emergency. This can be done through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Lëtzebuerger am Ausland – LamA.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish):
