Australia appoints new ambassador to Peru

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Maree Ringland as Australia’s next Ambassador to Peru. Ms Ringland will also be accredited to Bolivia.

Australia and Peru have a strong and growing relationship, including collaborating in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and World Trade Organisation. Nearly 90 Australian companies are now represented in Peru with over $5 billion in investment. The Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in February 2020, is opening substantial new trade and investment opportunities for Australia in one of the fastest growing economies of the region.

People-to-people links between our two countries have also been strengthened with a Work and Holiday Agreement to encourage young Peruvians and Australians to experience each other’s cultures. Over 20,000 Australians visited Peru in 2019.

Australia enjoys a cooperative and friendly relationship with Bolivia, with shared interests in mining, agriculture and empowering women and Indigenous people.

Ms Ringland is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Director, Afghanistan Consular Support Unit. She has previously served overseas in Beijing; and as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Santiago de Chile. In Canberra she served in a wide range of corporate, consular and regional trade roles within DFAT.

Ms Ringland holds a Master of International Relations from Monash University; and a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) / Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University.

I thank former Ambassador Diana Nelson for her contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in Peru since 2018.

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