In the upcoming Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, an agenda item is set to discuss the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recommendation to shut down several diplomatic missions as a part of austerity measures aimed at decreasing operating costs.

This recommendation involves closing six missions, with five located in Latin America - the Lebanese embassies in Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in addition to the embassy in Malaysia.

As reported by "Al Akhbar," the Ministry expects that the discontinuation of these missions will result in savings amounting to $2,163,000.

This move marks a reduction in the scope of an earlier proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, submitted to the Cabinet in March 2022, which suggested the closure of 17 missions to save approximately $15.5 million over a span of five years.

Insiders have observed that the Foreign Ministry has refined its closure list after considering feedback, aiming to mitigate any negative political implications and concerns within the affected communities.