MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay's incoming government reiterates support for Mercosur

Paraguayan incoming Foreign Affairs minister Alejandro Hamed

Paraguay is not planning to abandon Mercosur “in spite of the overall disappointment because we have received no advantages” said the incoming Foreign Affairs minister of president elect Fernando Lugo.

"We can't live or progress internationally if we don't integrate some kind of union", said Alejandro Hamed speaking with the press in the capital Asunción. Hamed, currently ambassador in Lebanon was confirmed last week as the future Foreign Secretary instead of Milda Rivarola who resigned even before taking office. The President Lugo administration will be taking office next month, "As a common citizen I know Mercosur and its shortcomings for Paraguay and Uruguay, but we must toil so that the senior partners, Argentina and Brazil don't become an inalterable, hegemonic force", he added. Mercosur was launched in Asuncion, Paraguay, in 1991 and has as full members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay with Venezuela in the process of incorporation. The Argentine and Uruguayan parliaments have approved the incorporation but not Brazil or Paraguay's legislative branches. In the last five years Paraguayan industry and agriculture sectors have repeatedly insisted before the government to abandon the regional block, following on reiterated frustrations with the tariff policies applied by Argentina and Brazil on local products. "We must be patient with Mercosur. The European Union for example is today a strong block but after over half a century of tough discussions", underlined Hamed. Hamed who is of Syrian descent was asked if United States was disappointed with his designation as Paraguay's head of foreign affairs given the fact he is Muslim and sympathizes with the Palestinian cause. "Officially we have no information on the subject from the US government", was Hamed's reply to reporters. He added that it was not true that he had been denied a visa to travel to the US. "As a university professor a few years ago I traveled twice with no problems. And it's not true that US airlines refuse to have me as a passenger". Finally regarding future talks with Brazilian and Argentine officials on the energy controversy, Hamed said that it was his ministry that had to address the issue, "those were the instructions from President Lugo". Paraguay shares with Brazil and Argentina two of South America largest hydroelectric dams, Itaipu and Yacireta, of which the senior partners take most of the energy. However Paraguay has been claiming an updating of rates paid by its neighbors since they date back to the seventies when the bilateral construction contracts were signed. The issue which is highly sensitive was always in the exclusive hands of the Paraguayan head of the Executive.