Luxembourg’s diplomatic and consular network currently includes 37 diplomatic and consular missions: 29 bilateral embassies (comprising 24 consular sections), 5 permanent representations to international organisations and 3 consulates general. The country has an additional diplomatic presence through 57 co-accreditations of its embassies, including 15 with United Nations and other international agencies and organisations.
“The opening of new embassies in India, Turkey, Brazil and Senegal over the past 10 years has contributed to a more balanced external representation,” says Ambassador Schmit. “The many co-accreditations as well as the accreditation of some non-resident ambassadors, in particular those based in Luxembourg who cover the Balkan countries, adds to the generalisation of the diplomatic network.”
Supporting investors and Luxembourg companies targeting foreign markets
The Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is in charge of managing the network of diplomatic and consular missions and of handling bilateral economic relations and multilateral trade negotiations. The diplomatic and consular network has among its mission to provide advice to the players of the Luxembourg economy and assist them on the spot, as well as to identify opportunities for economic cooperation.
Eight Luxembourg Trade and Investment Offices (LTIOs) and seventeen Foreign Trade Advisors are, under the guidance of the Ministry of the Economy, developing knowledge of local markets, identifying potential investors and supporting companies in foreign markets. Three Economic and Trade Attachés are posted at Luxembourg’s embassies in Brussels, Berlin and Paris. Pragmatic support networks such as Chambers of Commerce, ‘task forces’ or business clubs are developed locally under the supervision of embassies and consulates general.
Wide consular network
In addition to these resources, Luxembourg also has 10 General Honorary Consuls and 156 Honorary Consuls all over the world who contribute to enhancing the international promotion of Luxembourg and providing information to international investors interested in the country.
As the target audiences and demands stemming from local communities are very diverse, it is quite difficult to generalise the qualifications and mandate of the honorary consuls. “The majority of honorary consuls depend on the Luxembourg embassies for advice regarding their mission and dissemination of information about Luxembourg, but around 25 of them – mostly in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East – are directly related to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs,” says the ambassador. “We regularly assess the consuls’ profiles as well as new locations of interest.”
Available for all
The structure of Luxembourg’s international network, which thus includes both diplomatic missions and players more orientated towards trade and economic activities, is quite diverse. “Regardless of their status, all members of the network are available for foreign and Luxembourg players and cooperate directly with different departments and institutions in Luxembourg,” Ambassador Schmit concludes.