Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes is expected in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, following an invitation from his Argentine peer Cristina Fernandez, which will be his first overseas bilateral trip since taking office 15 August.
Paraguay as full member and in full exercise of that condition does not recognize Venezuela as president or full member of the group, according to a communiqué sent to all of Paraguay’s ministries and overseas representations.
Foreign minister Eladio Loizaga said Paraguay will hold before Mercosur the same position it sustained at the Unasur summit in Suriname requesting that all decisions adopted during the last year and two months in which the country was suspended, are formally analyzed.
Paraguay and Venezuela presidents Horacio Cartes and Nicolas Maduro met on Friday for over half an hour following the mediation of Brazilian leader Dilma Rousseff during the Unasur summit taking place in Paramaribo, Suriname. The meeting was made official by the Paraguayan presidency office and twits from the Planalto Palace, seat of the Brazilian executive.
Freezing cold temperature from heavy frosts are estimated to have killed at least 4.000 head of cattle in landlocked Paraguay, according to the primary reports from the country’s National Animal Quality and Health service, Senasa.
Unasur leaders will welcome Paraguay’s return to the group and will honour the memory of deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez during this week’s summit in Suriname that will be taking the chair of the group from Peru.
Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes will be making a round of visits to neighbouring countries beginning with Argentina, which will be followed by Brazil, Uruguay and Chile before the end of the year, revealed foreign ministry sources.
Paraguay’s newly inaugurated president Horacio Cartes will be attending the Unasur summit (Union of South American Nations), scheduled for the end of the month in Paramaribo, Suriname, when most probably he will ‘come across’ with his Venezuelan peer Nicolas Maduro, announced the Paraguayan foreign ministry. Paraguay and Venezuela currently have no diplomatic links.
Conservative businessman Horacio Cartes was sworn in as president of Paraguay on Thursday, amid slowly improving relations with South American neighbors, and Mercosur members, damaged by the 2012 removal of populist President Fernando Lugo, who was impeached on incompetence.
Most presidents and top authorities that will attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Horacio Cartes on Thursday morning arrived in Asunción on Wednesday and most of them have already held private meetings with the future leader of the country.