Uncertainty surrounds future of Faroese mission in London

The future of the Faroese mission in London is unclear after its envoy returned to the Faroe Islands, broadcaster KVF reports.

Kate Sanderson, who had served as the Faroese envoy in the British capital since 2001, has returned home after her term ended.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries has not said who will replace her, or whether a replacement will be appointed. Foreign Minister Bárður Nielsen told KVF last week that Sanderson would temporarily carry out the role from the Faroe Islands.

The mission announced on Friday that it had hired a student intern for four months. The intern started on 1 September.

Herálvur Joensen, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries, declined to comment on the mission’s future. He said the ministry had nothing to add to the minister’s previous statement.

The Union Party, which is led by Nielsen, said in its manifesto for the March parliamentary election that Faroese missions should be merged. Since Nielsen became foreign minister in April, however, there has been little public discussion of changes to the eight Faroese missions in Copenhagen, Reykjavík, Brussels, Moscow, London, Beijing, Tel Aviv and Washington.

Annual cost of missions

The Faroese National Audit Office published a report on the missions in February. It said it could not determine whether their costs were proportionate to their results.

The audit office said maintaining missions was a political decision and that most of the costs, including salaries and rent, were incurred once the decision to establish a mission had been made. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries told the auditors that, overall, the missions’ costs were proportionate to what they achieved.

The Faroese missions cost a total of 33.5 million kroner last year. The current budget allocates 4.3 million kroner to the mission in London.