Marina Pina

Updated Tuesday, April 2, 2024-12:47

  • Foreign Women take the lead in the Diplomatic Career 90 years after the pioneer Margarita Salaverría

Today King Felipe VI presented the diplomas to the LXXXV promotion of the Diplomatic Career. In total,

28 young people

- 16 women and 12 men - have passed both the opposition phase and the training phase at the Diplomatic School. And this April 2 they received the diploma that accredits them as third-class secretaries, the first place in the ranking. It was a ceremony in which the King reminded the new diplomats that from this day on they assume "the high responsibility of

defending the interests of Spain

in the increasingly complex international scenario."

For Don Felipe, this promotion represents

"dedication, commitment

and the pursuit of excellence in public service." They are young people with different careers and very diverse profiles who, starting this Tuesday, assume "the commitment" to "

represent and defend

" the Spanish Diplomatic Career. As well as the challenge of working to make it work and "serve the general interests of Spain." To this end, the King has given them advice: "Always look, in every position you hold, for the best way to

promote the interests of our country

, the common good of all Spaniards."

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Exteriors.

Women take the lead in the Diplomatic Career 90 years after the pioneer Margarita Salaverría

  • Editor: MARINA PINA

Women take the lead in the Diplomatic Career 90 years after the pioneer Margarita Salaverría

"Be constant, firm, and keep your eyes on the horizon," the King asked them before closing his words. "Our foreign policy must be impregnated with the values ​​and principles of

our Constitution

," recalled the Monarch. Values ​​such as freedom, the defense of democracy, the rule of law or respect for Human Rights that, according to Felipe VI, "are

values ​​with a vocation for prevalence

that prevail even when techniques change and fashions decline."

"Protect diversity"

Before the Monarch, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, highlighted that "this year, for the second time in our history, more women join the service. Little by little, gender equality is also making its way into diplomacy ". This is, in fact, the second promotion where women have obtained more places than men. However, it is not reflected in positions of responsibility within the Diplomatic Corps. The minister recalled that female

ambassadors

already make up 27% of heads of foreign missions, a number that he recognizes is still insufficient but has increased significantly since 2018, when they occupied 18% of embassies. "Legitimately

, 50% belongs to you

," Albares acknowledged.

"Geographically, our country is a meeting place. We occupy a privileged space that is our luck and our responsibility," the head of diplomacy explained to the new promotion. "Today we are a self-confident country, Spain leads and is committed in Europe and the world," he insisted. It was then that he stressed that "love for Spain is expressed

in different languages

​​and they are also part of our essence. As public servants you will have to promote and protect that wealth and diversity. Don't forget, you come to serve the people." Spaniards wherever they are".

Fulfilling the promise made to Puigdemont in the negotiations for the Pedro Sánchez investiture, Albares has assumed as a personal commitment to ensure that Catalan, Galician and Basque are recognized in the European Union as languages ​​of official use. The head of diplomacy has already sent two letters to

Roberta Metsola

asking her to consider it. Furthermore, at the ambassadors' conference, the event where the minister presents the lines of work for that year, he asked the heads of foreign missions to work to achieve it. Furthermore, in an encrypted telegram he gave them guidelines to advance on this path. This Tuesday, in addition, he reminded the new 28 members of the Diplomatic Career that this is a priority for Spain's International Relations.