Today I announce the appointment of Ms Virginia Greville as Australia’s next Ambassador toSpain, with non-resident accreditation to Andorra and Equatorial Guinea.

Australia and Spain enjoy a warm and expanding relationship, with strong trade and investment links.  Spanish companies are significant investors in Australia’s infrastructure, water and renewable energies sectors. People-to-people and cultural links are flourishing with the introduction of new work and holiday visa arrangements.

Bilateral defence ties are building, with $13 billion in shipbuilding and aircraft materiel projects.  HMAS Canberra – the first of Australia’s Spanish-built Landing Helicopter Dock ships – was commissioned in November 2014.

Australia engages with Spain on international economic and strategic issues, including through the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Asia-Europe Meeting, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the G20.

Ms Greville is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, having served as Ambassador to Chile and as Minister-Counsellor in Washington DC.  Most recently, she was Director of the NSW DFAT Office. She has also headed the Market Access, Business Liaison and Regional Trade Policy and the Trade Commitments Branches, and was Special International Agriculture Adviser (Australia-United States FTA) in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Public Law from the Australian National University, Ms Greville also speaks Spanish.

Ms Greville will take up her appointment in April 2015.  I thank the former Ambassador to Spain, Ms Jane Hardy, for her work in strengthening Australia’s relations with Spain.