Seven men and seven women become Chile's new career diplomats
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Ampuero, today led the graduation ceremony of the students of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile "Andrés Bello" of the 2017-2018 generation, made up of seven men and seven women, who studied two years at this institution after being elected in a public competition that had the participation of about 400 people and now become career diplomats to be part of the Foreign Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The graduation ceremony of each graduating class of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile has a special significance. It is a milestone that marks the beginning of the career for those who formally join the Foreign Service of the Republic and also a reason for satisfaction for those of us who receive them and welcome them to our institution," said the Chancellor.
"It is very stimulating to see a group of young professionals from different disciplines commit themselves to the interests of Chile, to the representation of the country, to the defense of Chile's interests, to what are its permanent interests and also to the assistance of our diplomats to nationals living abroad, and also to see them committed to the spirit of working on issues that are essential for Chile's development and projection, always with a view to the future," he added.
The graduate students chose as the name for their generation Francisco Orrego Vicuña, who was a lawyer, diplomat and winner of the National Prize for Humanities and Social Sciences. "I thank them for choosing the name of a great Chilean, Francisco Orrego Vicuña, to inspire and guide the development of their careers as members of the Foreign Service," he said.
In his speech, the Minister also reflected on the fundamental principles, management priorities and current and future challenges of Chile's Foreign Policy. In this regard, he said that international law; the protection of democracy and respect for human rights; and the free exchange of goods, services and investments are the bases on which our national foreign policy is based.
He also pointed out that the hallmark of the current administration is that foreign policy is at the service of citizens. "We have decided to add a citizen seal of closeness to the people, increasing the frequency of our communications and encounters with civil society, integrating the regions, especially the extreme areas of Chile, into our work," he said.
"Our goal is to get closer to all Chileans, that they feel foreign policy as a policy of theirs, that they feel that this policy makes sense to them, that it brings them results, that it has an impact on their lives, that is an element that I want them to keep present during the execution of their functions. We want Chile to feel that foreign policy is useful for all of us".
Finally, the Minister asked the new diplomats to "speak to Chile with conviction and passion. Speak loudly, but with soft words and nuances, with diplomacy and wisdom. Always defend faithfully the interests of our homeland and never forget that each one of you represents millions of Chileans in this international scenario".
