President Piñera designates new Ambassador of Chile in Croatia and new directors in Chancellery

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teodoro Ribera, informed that the President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, has appointed Ricardo Rojas as Chilean Ambassador to Croatia, who has already received the respective approval.

Ambassador Rojas is a commercial engineer from the University of Santiago de Chile and a graduate of the "Andrés Bello" Diplomatic Academy. He holds a master's degree in International Public Policy (MIPP) from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), a diploma in Export Management from the Catholic University of Chile and a diploma in Public Management from the University of Chile.

During his career abroad, he has occupied various positions in the Chilean embassies in Uruguay, Peru, the United States, Poland, New Zealand and Colombia.

In Chile, he has served as Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Director of People and Organizational Development; Chief of Cabinet of the Director General of Foreign Policy; in the Planning Directorate; and Coordinator for Economic Affairs in the Cabinets of the Minister and the Undersecretary. At the time of his appointment, he was Director General of Administration.

Appointments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In the Chancellery, Minister Teodoro Ribera has appointed Ambassador Raúl Fernández as the new Secretary General of Foreign Policy, and Ambassador Marta Chalhub as the new Director General of Ceremonial and Protocol.

Ambassador Fernández is a graduate of the Diplomatic Academy "Andrés Bello" and studied Pedagogy in History and Geography at the University of Chile, and International Relations at the National University of Brasilia. Prior to his designation, he served as Chile's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, and previously in Haiti.

He has worked in Chile's missions in Romania, Switzerland, Brazil, Malaysia, Belgium, France, Mexico and to the European Union. He was also Consul General of Chile in Chicago, United States.

In Santiago, he worked in the Directorates of Europe, North America and previously in the United Nations Department. He was Head of the Content Unit of the 1998 Summit of the Americas and General Coordinator of the 2004 APEC Summit of Leaders of Trade Ministers. He was also Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Chalhub is a public administrator of the University of Chile and a graduate of the "Andrés Bello" Diplomatic Academy. In addition, she has a degree in Diplomacy from the Foreign Service Programe of Oxford University and a diploma in Human Rights from the Catholic University Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga in Montevideo.

She has worked in the Embassies of Chile in the Netherlands, South Africa, Panama, Uruguay and Italy. Prior to her designation, she served as Chile's Ambassador to Lebanon.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has served in the following directorates: Planning; Bilateral Policy; Special Policy; North America, Central America and the Caribbean; and South America. In addition, she was a member of the negotiating team for the Maipú Treaty on Integration and Cooperation between Chile and Argentina; Head of the Argentine Unit in the Deputy General Directorate for Bordering Countries and Regional Affairs; and Director for the Community of Chileans Abroad.