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Thursday, September 21, 2017 
Foreign Minister makes a positive assessment of Chile's participation in the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, gave a positive assessment of the participation of the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, and the Chilean Chancellery in the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations. "It is clear that Chile has successfully completed its foreign policy work. We are a credible country, we are a proactive country and a country that contributes to the major issues of concern of the international community, such as climate change, peace and integration", he said.

When asked about the evaluation of the four years in which the country participated in the UN General Assembly under the current administration of President Michelle Bachelet, the Secretary of State indicated that "we have completed our task", adding that "we are a proactive country, a country that has credibility, that is respected, that is consulted". The Chief of Chilean Diplomacy added that he is "very satisfied with the work we have done in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I believe that Chileans understand it as well".

As examples of Chile's international contributions, Minister Muñoz named the role that Chile has played to achieve peace in Colombia as an accompaniment to the dialogue between the Colombian government and the FARC and as a guarantor in the dialogue with the ELN. "They have thanked us for the role we played in the negotiations with the FARC and for what we are doing now to verify that the agreement still stands, with our personnel on the ground, and what has begun with the other smaller guerrilla group, the ELN", he said.

He also mentioned the invitation to participate in a small group of countries that will seek an agreement between the government and the opposition in Venezuela. "At this time we are looking at the details, if all happens as planned next week", he said.

Likewise, he said he was congratulated on the qualitative leap made by the Pacific Alliance, "which is currently the only concrete bloc that exists in terms of regional integration in Latin America". He also mentioned the recognition received "of the cooperation we are giving to Central America and the Caribbean, particularly at a time when there are natural disasters, such as those we are seeing. Chile has cooperated with very significant amounts and with projects that are being materialized to help these countries".

The Secretary of State also said he was proud of the progress made in the protection of the oceans. "Chile has earned a place of leadership in this matter and here we are accompanied by the fishermen of Juan Fernández, the fishermen of Rapa Nui, who are witnesses of what we have done: to reach, in a year, more than one and a half million square kilometres of marine protected areas", he said.

In turn, he said that "the President has also received recognition for her work and the work we have done in Chile in terms of gender equity, youth, and the great humanitarian issues that matter to our country".

At today's meeting, the Chancellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, Riad Malki, signed an agreement to establish a joint ministerial committee between Chile and Palestine. The objective of this committee is to reaffirm the relations between the governments and the people of Chile and Palestine, promoting dialogue, tolerance, international peace and security.

He then held a bilateral meeting with the Vatican Secretary for State Relations, Monsignor Paul Gallagher, and one with the Estonian Foreign Minister, Sven Mikser, with whom they discussed the updating of the agreement between Chile and the European Union.

He also met with the Secretary-General of the Arab States League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, and attended the meeting of the ECLAC Quartet (El Salvador, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Ecuador), plus China and Chile, where the parties discussed the meeting that will be held in our country in January. In his last activity of the day, Minister Muñoz accompanied the President in a meeting with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.