OTTAWA – The plan by Canada and Britain to open joint embassies is to boost Canada’s presence abroad and cut costs, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said on Monday.

“This arrangement allows us to focus on smart diplomacy and promoting Canada abroad without spending large amounts of taxpayer dollars on bricks,” he said at a news conference with his British counterpart.

Public servants would not be shared at embassies where consular services are consolidated and the countries’ foreign policies will remain independent.

“It is about speed and flexibility. Practicality, saving the taxpayer money in both countries,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

Baird and Hague plugged the new agreement as a way to cut costs by sharing services in some countries, where Britain has a diplomatic mission and Canada does not or vice versa.

The arrangement is already in effect in Haiti and Burma, but it unclear what other posts the two governments are considering.

New Democrat foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar is not convinced by the “administrative” label.

He said Canada may be a “pawn” in a consular battle between Britain and the European Union.

“We need Canadian ambassadors promoting Canadian interests,” he said.

He added that services may be bogged down by joint embassies.

“There is a concern right now about the capacity we have overseas to get visas and to help Canadians who have issues abroad.”

Dewer said that the association could be problematic especially since Canada and Britain have not agreed on foreign policies including the war in Iraq.