The foreign ministers of Paraguay, Euclides Acevedo, and of Argentina, Santiago Cafiero, highlighted this Friday in Asunción the opening of their borders after the covid-19 pandemic.
Source: EFE
Acevedo received Cafiero at the Palacio Benigno López (headquarters of the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry), on his first official visit to the country.
“From now on we have open borders,” Acevedo told reporters at the end of the meeting with his counterpart, who arrived accompanied by a delegation of businessmen.
The official valued the “profound and vigorous integrationist vocation” of the joint declaration, as well as the progress made in bilateral, commercial, technological and cultural matters.
The head of Paraguayan diplomacy highlighted the “firm will” to build bridges to unite both countries.
Specifically, he assured that his country will finance the construction of a bridge between Puerto Falcón, in Paraguayan territory, and Clorinda, in Argentina.
He also referred to another project to build a bridge between Colonia Cano, in the Argentine province of Formosa, and the city of Pilar (Ñeembucú department), which could be financed by CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, he added.
Pilar is home to the country’s deepwater port within the Paraguay-Paraná waterway.
For his part, Cafiero stressed that they made progress on “multiple issues,” including the movement of people and the opening of all borders on the Argentine side.
“Normally all borders are open,” said the minister, although he admitted that this “must have its times of adaptation.”
According to the joint statement, Cafiero reported on the administrative decision adopted by Argentina that will allow the “scheduled and staggered” opening of the different international steps that connect both countries.
His Paraguayan counterpart – added the note – “reaffirmed his country’s interest in the total opening of the borders, which will favor human mobility and economic recovery.”
During the day, the two countries signed a bilateral agreement on air services, which updates one that dates back to 1964.
In addition, the state-owned Argentine Satellite Solutions Company (ARSAT) and the Paraguayan Communications Company (COPACO) signed an agreement to strengthen digital connectivity between these neighboring nations.
