President Piñera appoints ambassadors to the UN, Republic of Argentina and Federative Republic of Brazil

The President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, has appointed as ambassadors' professional diplomat Milenko Skoknic Tapia to the United Nations, economist Pablo Piñera Echenique to the Republic of Argentina, and former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Fernando Schmidt Ariztía to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Ambassador Milenko Skoknic Tapia holds a law degree from the University of Chile and a Diploma in Foreign Policy and International Economics from St Antony's College, Oxford University. He is a graduate of the Diplomatic Academy.

As part of his extensive career in the Foreign Ministry, Skoknic has served in the Chilean Mission to the United Nations, the Chilean embassies to the Holy See, Turkey, Argentina, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro and was Consul General of Chile in La Paz. He was also Secretary of the Chilean Delegation to the Papal Mediation from December 1980 to July 1985.

In June 2003 he was appointed ambassador, in 2004 he was Executive Director of the Apec Chile 2004 Organizing Committee and the Apec Leaders' Summit, and in August 2016 he became General Director of Foreign Policy.

Ambassador Pablo Piñera Echenique studied Business Administration and Finance at the Catholic University of Chile. He also holds a Master's degree in Economics from Boston University.

He has been Executive Director of the Economic Research Corporation for Latin America (CIEPLAN) and has extensive experience in the public sector. He has been General Manager of Banco Estado; General Administrative Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Undersecretary of Public Works; Executive Director of Television Nacional; Director of the Central Bank and Undersecretary of Finance.
He has also been on the boards of directors of Metro, Efe, Cotrisa, Polla Gol and Canal 13.

He has also served as director of the MBA program at the Alberto Hurtado University and as an academic at the School of Economics of the Catholic University of Chile; at the School of Engineering and at the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile; at the Diplomatic Academy of Chile "Andrés Bello"; and at the Torcuato Di Tella Institute, in Argentina. He is also a member of the Chilean Council for International Relations.

The agreement for Pablo Piñera Echenique was granted immediately by the Argentine Republic, in a gesture that shows the close relationship and appreciation between the leaders of both countries.

Ambassador Fernando Schmidt Ariztía has a law degree from the Catholic University of Chile and is a graduate of the Diplomatic Academy. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the Instituto Ortega y Gasset in Madrid and was awarded a scholarship by the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD) at the Instituto IFO für Wirtschaftsforschung, Munich.

During his long career in the Foreign Ministry, he has served in the Chilean Mission to the OAS, in the Chilean consulate in Ushuaia, Argentina and in the embassies in Germany, Spain, Korea, Hungary, Brazil, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago, with concurrence in Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Guyana and Caricom. In addition, he was Director of North American/Central American and Caribbean Affairs and Director of Asia Pacific Affairs.

Between 2010 and 2012 he was Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, the Government of Chile had requested agreement with the Holy See and Italy and was awaiting their respective replies.