UK sacks EU diplomats, sends more to BRICs

Britain will open five new embassies and send more diplomats to China, India and Brazil under a multi-million dollar plan to secure new trading ties with emerging ecnomic powers, the Associated Press reports.

The agency says the UK plans to reduce its diplomatic staff in European countries to facilitate the new focus on emerging markets, which will include opening embassies in El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan, South Sudan, Somalia and Madagascar.

In these days of budget cuts, the move means that about 80 diplomats — some transferred from places like Munich, Milan and Barcelona — will be sent to Brazil, China and India. And that's not all. Britain’s foreign ministry will also sell off real estate and slash perks for diplomats to trim the cost of the $165 million program, "which will mean fewer luxury homes for diplomats based abroad, and cheaper office spaces," the AP said.