Ambassador to Peru

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Diana Nelson as Australia's next Ambassador to Peru, with non-resident accreditation to Bolivia.

Australia and Peru have a strong and growing relationship. The Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement signed in February 2018 will open substantial new trade and investment opportunities for Australia in one of the fastest growing economies of the region. Australia and Peru's total two-way trade was $640 million in 2017 and over 90 Australian companies are now represented in Peru.

People-to-people links between our two countries have been strengthened with the signing of a Work and Holiday Agreement and an Air Services Agreement in 2017. Over 40,000 Australians visited Peru in 2017-18.

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

Ms Nelson is a career officer with the Department of Foreign affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Director, Timor-Leste Section. She has previously served overseas as Counsellor, Australian High Commission, New Delhi; Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Santiago de Chile; and Third Secretary, Australian High Commission, Nairobi. In Canberra, Ms Nelson has served as Director, Indonesia Strategic, Political and Governance Section, DFAT; Senior Advisor, Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Senior Adviser, International Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Ms Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University.

I thank outgoing Ambassador Nick McCaffrey for his contributions to advancing Australia's interests in Peru and Bolivia since 2014.