The Paraguayan and U.S. governments stressed the importance of their alliance on several issues

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governments of Paraguay and the United States highlighted on Monday the importance of their “alliance” on various issues, including the fight against corruption and security.

At the end of a meeting, the new Paraguayan foreign minister, Julio César Arriola, and the Washington ambassador in Asunción, Marc Ostfield, highlighted the joint work.

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Ostfield told reporters that they spoke about the “importance of the alliance between Paraguay and the United States.”

“We are allies, friends, partners and we want to continue our work together to strengthen the fight against corruption, security, here in Paraguay, and to promote mutual and inclusive economic prosperity in the region,” said the diplomat.

For his part, Arriola described the meeting as “excellent” and “pleasant”, the first between the two officials since the new minister took office on May 4.

The head of Paraguayan diplomacy stressed that, in addition to corruption and terrorism, they spoke about the country’s economic reactivation in the post-pandemic era, which he considered “fundamental.”

Among others, he indicated that they discussed markets and the country’s interest in exporting meat to the United States.

Arriola, 57, who served as ambassador to the United Nations, is the fifth head of Paraguay’s Foreign Affairs portfolio during the government of President Mario Abdo Benítez, who took office in August 2018.

(With information from EFE)