SOCIETY 374 / 2018

WOMEN AMBASSADORS
INTERVIEW CHILE
You are Ambassador of
Chile to Austria since August
2018 – what are your
main plans and goals for
your term here?
The diplomatic relations
between Austria and Chile date back
to 1870 and are excellent and very close
but it is always possible to do something
more to develop them further. I had the
honour of accompanying then President
Michelle Bachelet in her Official Visit in
2015 invited by former President Heinz
Fischer. On that occasion, she visited a
technical school because it is very important
for Chile to improve its educational
system and in this respect the Austrian
dual system is very relevant and an example
that Chile could follow. Also, I would
like to augment Austrian direct investments
in Chile in sectors such as innovation,
research and development, green
economy and digital economy. In this way,
we would take advantage of the bilateral
agreements on the protection and promotion
of investments and to avoid double
taxation. In addition, I would like to promote
the imports of Chilean products. In
the year 2017 Chile exported to Austria
only 71 million US Dollars, so we have
plenty of room to grow. To promote tourism
is also one of my goals and we have
a tourism agreement with Austria that
dates back to 1954. As a whole, I would
like to make Chile relevant to Austria. We
share values and we work very close in the
international sphere and it would be great
to transfer that closeness to the people.
I am happy to say that Austria and
Chile have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
on a programme for Holidays
and Work, which allows young people between
18 - 30 years from both of our countries
to go and study and work for a year.
That is a great way to make our nations
more relevant to each other. Also, there
are Chileans that came as refugees to Austria
during the dictatorship and are fully
integrated in this country and have made
important contribution to it. They are a
great help for me as Ambassador!
Austria is a great example in areas
such as public transport and its infrastructure,
renewable energy, services,
waste disposal. My goal is for Chile to
work with Austria in all those areas.
Last but not least, the role of Austria as
rotating Presidency of the European Union
during this semester is very timely for Chile
since we are at the present negotiating to
modernise the Association Agreement between
Chile and the European Union.
The first international relations be-
Austria and Chile
can learn a lot
from each other
SOCIETY met with H.E. Gloria Navarrete
Pinto, Ambassador of Chile to speak to
her about the cordial relations of the two
countries and the challenges and advantages
of being a female Ambassador.
Fotos: SOCIETY/salas-torrero
50 | SOCIETY 2_2018