The presidents of both countries will also discuss other issues of common interest.
The presidents of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, meet this Monday within the framework of the Annex C treaty of the Itaipu Binacional. On the agenda that they will discuss today, in Brasilia, the leaders include Itaipú’s 2024 tariff, as well as the provisional operation of the binational entity while the review process of Annex C of the Itaipú Treaty lasts, according to Justo Zacarías, Paraguayan general director. of the binational entity, who also said that, “if God allows, they want to start 2025 with a new Annex C.”
From offices of the Executive Branch they indicated that “President Santiago Peña will make an official visit to Brazil this Monday, January 15, to discuss important bilateral issues with the president of that country, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other authorities.”
The reference report adds that the heads of State and their respective delegations will address the agreements pending completion in Itaipu, joint infrastructure works, cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime, as well as the progress and challenges faced by Mercosur.
The team accompanying President Peña is made up of ministers Rubén Ramírez, Lea Giménez, Carlos Fernández Valdovinos and Javier Giménez, who also, by decision of the current government, are part of the Paraguayan bench of the Itaipú Board of Directors.
The Paraguayan director general of Itaipú, Justo Zacarías Irún, also travels. Engineers Félix Sosa and Héctor Richer are absent.
The Brazilian team that will accompany President Lula includes Itamarati chief Mauro Vieira, Brazilian ambassador to Paraguay José A. Marcondes, Itamarati’s secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ricardo Monteiro, ambassador Audo Faleiro and the director Brazilian general of Itaipú, Enio Verri.
The list of issues without specificity in Itaipú, firstly includes the 2024 rate or cost of the Itaipú service (CUSE), which should have been defined on December 15.
The positions on the point, according to the Brazilian press, are as follows: our country proposes returning to the previous levels in terms of tariffs (US$ 20.75/KWmonth, which was in effect in 2022), while Brazil seeks to maintain the current one. in 2023, that is, US$ 16.71/KWmonth.
Also pending resolution is the start date of the review of Annex C of the Treaty, which according to Zacarías’ statements they hope to mark the start date of the negotiation and, “above all, the end date.”