<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>King Felipe VI presided this Tuesday at the Diplomatic School in Madrid over the ceremony to present the diplomas of Secretary of the Embassy to the 76th Class of the Diplomatic Service, highlighting the importance of their work "at a time when everything, including the rules-based world order itself, seems to be transitioning toward new geopolitical realities."</strong></h4> King Felipe, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Xavier Martí; and the ambassador-director of the Diplomatic School, Cecilia Robles, presented the diplomas to the new members of the Diplomatic Service. During the ceremony, and following speeches by Cecilia Robles and Albares, the deputy director of the Diplomatic School read out the names of the 28 new embassy secretaries, to whom the diplomas were presented. María de Lossada, number one in the class, addressed the audience. The King then congratulated the newly appointed Embassy Secretaries and emphasized that their work will determine "our image and our words, our presence in the world, and the connection with Spain of so many Spaniards abroad." "You have chosen to work in an area like foreign policy at a time when everything, even the rules-based world order itself, seems to be in transition to new geopolitical realities," he stated. "In this 'confusing sea,' beacons and lighthouses are more necessary than ever," he continued. “You will find them in our Constitution and our legal system, in the institutions on which our democratic coexistence is founded. You will also find them in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the Charter of the United Nations, and in the treaties and conventions signed by Spain, as well as in the EU Treaty, that space of freedoms and social cohesion that we Europeans have built and is the most sophisticated fruit of international harmony,” he added. The Diplomatic Service is a body of the State Administration specialized in international relations and attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Due to its specific training, it is entrusted with political, diplomatic, and consular functions. Its work is therefore divided into two main areas: diplomatic and consular. Diplomatic work consists of representing Spain abroad, maintaining relations with other countries, and participating in multilateral forums. Consular functions consist of the protection and assistance to Spanish citizens abroad in a wide range of situations: Civil Registry and notary services, legalization of documents, assistance to detainees and prisoners, issuance of passports and safe-conduct passes, and assistance to citizens affected by emergency situations. Also included within the consular scope are tasks related to the processing and issuance of visas for foreigners wishing to travel to Spain for a short period of time or to establish residence in our country. The Diplomatic School, a public institution dependent on the Undersecretariat of Foreign Affairs, carries out the selection process for entry into the Diplomatic Service and provides the primary training for Diplomatic Service officials through the provision of courses and subjects relevant for continuing education. To achieve this, new Embassy Secretaries have passed a competitive examination and a subsequent selection course at the Diplomatic School.
