09.07.2024, Asunción.
Paraguay is not against the Mercosur’s negotiations on a free trade agreement with China, but is not renouncing relations with Taiwan, the country’s President Santiago Peña said on the sidelines of the Mercosur summit in Asuncion, ABC reported on July 9.
Paraguay held the 64th summit of leaders of the Mercosur bloc’s member countries in the port of Asunción on July 8 under Paraguay’s provisional presidency. Prior to the event, President Santiago Peña was consulted on Paraguay’s position on the regional bloc’s interest in initiating negotiations with China for a free trade agreement.
Peña said the government’s position is that the deal should be a “bloc-level negotiation, not a country-level negotiation.”
“So, we are not closed to negotiations as a bloc, but obviously we are not ready to give up our more than 66-year relationship with the Republic of China (Taiwan),” the leader of the state said.
The Paraguayan President ‘s statements were echoed by the country’s Chancellor Ruben Ramirez Lezcano. According to him, Paraguay as a bloc “is ready to move forward in negotiations related to the possibility of reaching an agreement with China.”
It is noted that the stated intention of Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, to conclude a free trade agreement with the Asian giant, contradicts Paraguay’s current diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Paraguay is currently Taiwan’s only ally in South America and one of 12 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the island.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
