MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russia opens its first embassy ever in Paraguay’s 200 year history

The Russian Federation has formally opened its first embassy in Paraguay’s 200 year history. Although there have been diplomatic relations the Russian ambassador was concurrent from Buenos Aires and only since two decades ago.

Ambassador Igor Ezhov said Paraguay was the only country in South America where Russia had no embassy “and we are correcting this long standing historic error”.

“Paraguay is a very interesting country, with a long heroic history, hard working people and we believe, with many business opportunities”, added Ezhov.

Russia buys beef, poultry and pork from Paraguay and there are “opportunities for larger volumes of beef but one of my priorities as ambassador will be to try and balance trade and purchase other Paraguayan goods”.

Ezhov said Russia is a strong exporter of fertilizers to Latinamerica, has an excellent record in building small fluvial vessels (Russia has a vast network of rivers and streams), excellent helicopters and “we have the know-how to organize transport systems in vast open countries such as Paraguay”.

Ezhov said his main task now that they are established with an embassy, residence and all the needed staff, “is to concentrate in increasing and intensifying bilateral relations”.

And what can be expected from closer relations?

Paraguay is rich in a resource which in the near future is going to become scarce and will have an increasing demand, water. “The water here is abundant and of excellent quality and so are the opportunities to keep expanding agriculture”.

Ezhov also mentioned Russian interest in fresh fruit and fish produce.

“Plenty of mango in Paraguay, and excellent fishing in the Paraguay and Parana rivers, I’ve been there”, revealed Ezhov.

A career diplomat Ezhov said working for a totalitarian state such as the Soviet Union and then for perestroika and later a free Russia “meant strong changes, some of them traumatic, particularly when the state managed your whole lives. Some people who were used to free education, free health services, free housing couldn’t overcome the new scenario”.

However, “freedom is an invaluable asset we all have learnt to enjoy and to protect, because if you don’t look after liberty, it can easily vanish”.

Ezhov said the Russian people are overcoming the difficult years of transition and now “the world again respects Russia as we are, a free country which relieves in democratic values and the economy is improving at great strides, which means we will be able to do business with Paraguay: trade, investments, technology”.