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Chile - Relations with U.S. (Notes)

U.S.-CHILEAN RELATIONS Relations between the United States and Chile are better now than at any other time in history. The U.S. Government applauded the rebirth of democratic practices in Chile in the late 1980s and early 1990s and sees the maintenance of a vibrant democracy and a healthy and sustainable economy as among the most important U.S. interests in Chile. Besides the landmark 2003 U.S.-Chile FTA, the two governments consult frequently on issues of mutual concern, including in the areas of multilateral diplomacy, security, culture, and science. U.S. Embassy Functions In addition to working closely with Chilean Government officials to strengthen our bilateral relationship, the U.S. Embassy in Santiago provides a wide range of services to U.S. citizens and businesses in Chile. (Please see the embassys home page for details of these services.) The Embassy also is the locus for a number of American community activities in the Santiago area. The Public Affairs Section cooperates with universities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on a variety of programs of bilateral interest. Of special note are extensive U.S. Speaker, International Visitor, and Fulbright programs. Themes of particular interest include trade, international security, democratic governance in the region, judicial reform, law enforcement, environmental issues, and the teaching of English. The Public Affairs Section works daily with Chilean media, which has a keen interest in bilateral and regional relations. It also assists visiting foreign media, including U.S. journalists, and is regularly involved in press events for high-level visitors. Attachés at the Embassy from the Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) work closely with the hundreds of U.S. companies who export to or maintain offices in Chile. These officers provide information on Chilean trade and industry regulations and administer several programs intended to support U.S. companies sales in Chile. The Consular Section of the Embassy provides vital services to the more than 12,000 U.S. citizens residing in Chile. It assists Americans who wish to vote in U.S. elections while abroad, provides U.S. tax information, and facilitates government benefits/social security payments. Besides those U.S. citizens resident in Chile, about 170,000 U.S. citizens visit Chile annually. The Consular Section offers passport and emergency services to U.S. tourists during their stay in Chile. It also issues about 40,000 visitor visas annually to Chilean citizens who plan to travel to the United States. Principal U.S. Embassy Officials Ambassador--Craig A. Kelly Deputy Chief of Mission--Emi Lynn Yamauchi Public Affairs Counselor--Judy Baroody Management Counselor--Eric Khant Commercial Counselor--Americo A. Tadeu Economic and Political Counselor--Juan A. Alsace Consul General--Sean Murphy Defense Attaché--Captain Richard W. Goodwyn, USN Military Group Commander--Colonel Jeffrey B. Smith, USAF Agricultural Counselor--Joseph López APHIS Attaché--Karen S. Sliter Legal Attaché--Stanley Stoy Drug Enforcement Administration--Dave Horan The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Santiago are located at 2800 Andres Bello Avenue, Las Condes, (tel. 562-330-3000; fax: 562-330-3710). The mailing address is Casilla 27-D, Santiago, Chile. Other Contact Information American Chamber of Commerce in Chile Avenida Presidente Kennedy 5735, Oficina 201 Torre Poniente, Las Condes Santiago Tel: 562-290-9700 Fax: 562-212-2620 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.amchamchile.cl (Spanish) http://www.amchamchile.cl/node/859 (English) Comite de Inversiones Extranjeras (Foreign Investment Committee) Andres Culagovski, Acting Executive Vice President Teatinos 120, P. 10; Santiago, Chile Tel: 562-698-4254 Fax: 562-698-9476 Website: http://www.foreigninvestment.cl Chilean Government Agencies Website: http://www.chileangovernment.cl/ U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Information Center International Trade Administration 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230 Tel: 800-USA-TRADE Fax: 202-482-4726 Website: http://trade.gov Additional information regarding U.S. and U.S.-Chile trade can be found at the following websites: http://www.export.gov/ and http://www.buyusa.gov/chile/en/.