The Diplomat. Madrid
The diplomat Ignacio Ybáñez has been named secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by the Government, replacing Gonzalo de Benito, who has been named Ambassador to Japan. At 52 years of age, with 25 of those as a diplomat, Ybáñéz, has been posted at a number of Spanish Embassies, and was a cabinet assessor for the Presidency under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Now, in practice, he becomes the “number two” to Minister José Manuel García-Margallo, who has been promoting him in various positions in the last three years. In May 2012 he was names Director General for the Maghreb, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, ad one year later, Director General of Foreign Policy and multilateral, global and security affairs, his latest post before this promotion, and from which he has had the responsibility of strengthening Spain’s recent candidacy to the UN Security Council. He will be replaced by Enrique Mora, as was announced by The Diplomat.