U.S. to close consulate in Medan

JAKARTA (JP): The United States plans to close its consulate general in Medan, North Sumatra, as part of on-going efforts to downsize its overseas administrative facilities and cut spending.

The Medan office is one of 19 American diplomatic missions which will be closed according to an announcement made by the State Department in Washington on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

The other 18 missions include three embassies -- Equatorial Guinea, the Seychelles and Western Samoa -- and 15 consulates which include: Brisbane in Australia; Cebu in the Philippines; and Udorn in Thailand.

Besides Medan, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta oversees two consulates general in Jakarta and Surabaya (East Java), and a consular agency in Denpasar (Bali).

The State Department and foreign aid have been prime targets for spending cuts as Washington seeks to reduce its huge budget deficit. President Clinton has made it a priority to streamline the government. (emb)