Foreign Affairs Minister announces details of President Michelle Bachelet’s European visit

The President’s agenda of activities in Europe begins on June 4 with an official visit to Italy. “We will be meeting with Italian government officials, starting with the President, the Prime Minister and members of parliament,” the Minister explained.

On June 5 President Bachelet will attend a private meeting with Pope Francis, after which she will meet with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and other heads of the Catholic Church.

On June 6 President Bachelet will travel to Milan to participate in the inauguration of the 39th FAO Conference. She will also visit Expo Milan, where “we will be with Chilean SMEs who are exhibiting agricultural and seafood products from our country,” Minister Muñoz added.

President Bachelet will make an official visit to France on June 8-9. “In Paris there will be talks with government ministers, French business leaders and scientists.”

The European tour will terminate in Brussels with the European Union (EU) – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Heads of State and Government Summit, which follows on from the summit held in January 2013 in Chile. “The aim of the summit is to deepen the ties between the EU and Latin American and Caribbean countries.”

President Bachelet will hold a series of bilateral meetings with European heads of state during the summit. The Foreign Affairs Minister confirmed that one of the issues that will be discussed is the renewal of the EU-Chile Association Agreement.

“This is a very important trip; the message we are getting from businesses, investors and scientists is that they are keen to continue collaborating with Chile and deepening the political, economic, social and cultural ties with our country,” the Minister explained.