The ceremony of oath of allegiance to the Republic by 46 newly appointed diplomatic officers, who passed the diplomatic competition for Secretaries of Legation, was held today at the Farnesina, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.
The ceremony marks the formal entry into the diplomatic service for the new officers. The oath of allegiance to the Republic takes place at the end of a nine-month training course named after Boris Biancheri Chiappori, diplomat and former Secretary General of the Italian Foreign Ministry. The Biancheri training course also marks the highest rate of female presence among the winners of the competition in the history of the Republic, with 46% of new diplomats being women.
In his speech, Minister Tajani reiterated “the importance that diplomacy holds, now more than ever, in the international context, recalling the great responsibility that comes with the task of representing Italy around the world.” “A task that must be carried out in accordance with the values of the Constitution – to which the young diplomats have today sworn an oath – and in a spirit of service to the country.”
Course leader Filippo Cutrera pointed out that a diplomat’s mission is to serve the public, “or, as our oath states, for the public good”.
Course leader Simona Esposito emphasised that “our diplomatic corps is the first in the history of the Republic to come close to gender equality, an achievement that reflects the journey that began 80 years ago when women played a decisive role in shaping the political life of post-war Italy”.
