Undersecretary of State Kurt Campbell and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramírez Lezcano reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United States and Paraguay at their March 26 meeting in Washington, DC
In the joint statement, they emphasized the broad alignment between the United States and Paraguay on top foreign policy priorities, such as opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, support for Israel’s right to self-defense, and defense of democracy in Venezuela.
Both parties agreed on the importance of supporting the Multinational Support Mission to Haiti, underlining the urgent need to combat corruption, protect democratic institutions and strengthen cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries.
The Undersecretary and the Minister reiterated mutual concerns about the revocation of USDA’s rigorous scientific evaluation and risk analysis and the resulting final rule to reauthorize the importation of fresh meat from Paraguay into the United States under certain conditions. They emphasized the importance of continuing joint efforts to guarantee access for Paraguayan meat to the US market and other potential global markets.
They also supported the further strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries, including through the current Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment, the third meeting of which is scheduled for this year in Washington, DC. The Undersecretary and the Minister also reaffirmed the importance of participation of Paraguay in economic initiatives in the region and the Asia Pacific.
The Undersecretary celebrated Paraguay’s convocation to the 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, and both parties agreed to work together toward the shared objective of building a more resilient and prosperous hemisphere.