MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina appoints a new Malvinas Secretary, an academic with vast experience in maritime issues

Ms Di Chiaro replaces the professional militant Kirchnerite Guillermo Carmona, and her task must be “to reduce the ideological focus of her appointment”, pointed out minister Mondino.

Argentine foreign minister, Diana Mondino has named Paola Di Chiaro, an academic with a political science background, involved with domestic maritime think tank issues, and linked to German Christian Democrat foundation Konrad Adenauer, as the new head of the Malvinas Islands Secretariat.

Ms Di Chiaro replaces the professional militant Kirchnerite politician Guillermo Carmona, and her task must be “to reduce the ideological focus of her appointment”, pointed out minister Mondino.

Carmona managed the Secretariat for three years with ”strong (coarse) language condemning the British, addressing the Kirchnerite nationalistic wishes and masses, but with no effective actions that would help better control fisheries resources of Malvinas, and its adjoining waters, while Ms Chiaro has become an academic with vast experience in government procedures, and has for years been working on the Argentine maritime interests, explained the minister.

Besides, Carmona allegedly following instructions from the Kirchnerite government had quite a 'soft' attitude towards China, particularly all those jiggers that operate on mile 201of Argentina's EEZ, and which the Argentine fishing sector so much criticized, complaining about economic losses and poor sustainability of the resource.

“We must deploy those resources and talent which the (Foreign) ministry already has, we are going to empower the most those officials who have the right experience, preparation and capacity, and thus begin by reducing the ideological aspects“, Ms Mondino said.

Ms Di Chiaro is a political science major from the University of Buenos Aires with an International Relations degree from Flasco, the Latin American Social Sciences university, and has been working in several areas of international relations and security, both for the City of Buenos Aires and Argentine federal governments.

She is co-founder of the Argentine Global Foundation that has been working in sea governance, and has regularly organized workshops to exchange ideas on maritime issues.

”The purpose of these workshops is to listen and incorporate ideas to develop and improve Argentine public policies, taking advantage of all the potential of the maritime front; we all deserve to be protected and enjoy better living conditions.“ One of the last events was a joint forum with the Konrad Adenauer foundation under the heading of ”Sea, Power and Strategy; Governance: from the ideas to action“, with the purpose of finding an equilibrium between economic activities and caring for the environment, with better coordinated, concrete and participated actions.

The Konrad Adenauer foundation is also helping with an international program, ”Sea, Power and Strategy“ as part of a major course to develop Public Policies for the sustainable development of the Sea, together with the Austral University.

During the ministerial presentation one of Carmona's extravagant ideas he tried to implement was mentioned on the sidelines. Allegedly Carmona attempted to implement a ”wall of fishing vessels to impede squid slipping into the Falklands EEZ”.