Elena Gómez Castro, new ambassador to the Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific

Eduardo González Elena Gómez Castro, a diplomat with extensive experience in Security and Defense matters, was appointed this Tuesday by the Council of Ministers to the position of ambassador to the Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific. Born on September 10, 1969 in Zaragoza, a graduate in Law from the University of Salamanca and a career diplomat since 1997, she served, from March 2017 to July 2021, as Director General of Defense Policy at the Ministry of Defense and, from June 22, 2021 to July 30, 2024, she was ambassador representing Spain on the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union (COPS). Previously, she was Deputy Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, Deputy Director General for Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advisor on International Affairs to the Minister of Defence, National Expert in the Directorate for Defence Issues of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union, and Deputy Head of the Spanish Diplomatic Representations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Ivory Coast. She holds the Spanish decorations of Grand Cross of Naval Merit with white insignia (2023), Officer's Cross of the Order of Isabel La Católica (2016), Officer's Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (2007), Cross of Military Merit with white insignia (2011), Cross of the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard with white insignia (2014); and foreigners of Knight of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic (2013), and Knight of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic (2021). On the other hand, yesterday the Council of Ministers appointed Cristina López Heras as Director General of the Foreign Service. Graduated in Law and Business Administration and Management from the Carlos III University of Madrid, she has been a member of the Higher Corps of Auditors and Comptrollers of the Social Security Administration since 2003. She has been Deputy Assistant Director General of Financial Administration, Deputy Director General of the Chief Clerk's Office and Deputy Director General Head of the Budget Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director General of Financial Administration at the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Social Security, and Head of the Intersectoral Area at the General Directorate of Budgets of the Ministry of Finance and Civil Service. Since June 2023 she has been occupying the position of Secretary General of the Spanish Data Protection Agency. She has been awarded the Commandery of the Order of Isabel La Católica, the Cross of the Order of Police Merit, the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard and the Commandery of the Order of Civil Merit. On the other hand, David Navarro is the new Secretary General for the European Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Graduated in Law from the University of Murcia, he joined the diplomatic service in June 1996. Since June 11, 2024, he has held the position of Director General of Integration and Coordination of General Affairs of the European Union. Previously, he was coordinator at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union in Brussels. Previously, abroad he held the positions of second in command at the Spanish embassies in Seoul, Santiago de Chile and Managua, and consul at the Consulate General in Frankfurt. In Spain, he has held the positions of General Director of Casa Asia, Director of the Office of the Secretary of State for Ibero-America, Director of the Technical Office of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and Deputy Director General for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. He has also held other positions in the Office of the General Secretariat for Foreign Policy, the Technical Office of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and the Office of the Secretary of State for International Cooperation.

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