New Minister of Foreign Affairs: "I feel honored and very thankful"

SANTIAGO.- As soon as he found out about the presidential cabinet change, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to the United States, Mariano Fernández, caught a plane to Chile and arrived at the Santiago airport at 8:00 am this morning.

Although he did not wish to comment on contingent matters until being updated about the current situation, he did state, "I feel much honored (to take over the new position) and I am very thankful to the President as well as the people who have already sent me their congratulations".

According to Radio Cooperativa, Fernández expressed his gratification for Alejandro Foxely's gesture of sending her a letter of congratulations, saying that the act was "very nice and very encouraging".

When asked how he would confront his new position and future relations with Peru, Fernández stated that he would first be sworn in and then comment on such matters.

"These things have certain rules and there is a specific protocol (…) I am not going to comment on anything until I have spoken to the President, been sworn in for the position, and we have had the chance to exchange opinions on the current scenario", assured the new minister.