MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez and Mujica tell Cartes, Mercosur ‘is waiting for the return of Paraguay’

The Uruguayan president will be hosting the Mercosur summit next June

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez congratulated Paraguayan president-elect Horacio Cartes for his ample victory in Sunday’s election and said Mercosur was waiting for the return of the country to the trade block.

The Argentine leader twitted she had been in contact with Cartes and also underlined the democratic attitude of Efrain Alegre from the Liberal party, “who next to his family and allies, in a most serene and calm attitude, and democratic way thanked his team and followers and admitted defeat to Horacio Cartes and the Colorado party”.

During the conversation between Cartes and Cristina Fernandez there were expressions of gratitude from the president-elect towards Argentina “for the historic links of friendship and the traditional hospitality towards the Paraguayan people”.

Cristina Fernandez replied saying of her admiration towards the “heroic Paraguayan people and acknowledgement of their greatest historic figure, Marshall Solano Lopez. Extend my congratulations to the Paraguayan people for the exemplary Election Day. And what is more important: we are waiting for you in Mercosur (in capital letters)”.

Paraguay’s place “is in Mercosur next to all of us (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) as always”, twitted Cristina Fernandez who anticipated she would be soon visiting Paraguay.

In similar terms, Uruguayan president Jose Mujica congratulated the Paraguayan president-elect and invited him to the next Mercosur summit in June in Montevideo.

When this happens it would mean the lifting of the suspension imposed on Paraguay because of the June 2012 incidents when Fernando Lugo was removed from office by the Senate following impeachment and his replacement by Vice-President Federico Franco, who next August will be concluding the five year mandate that started in 2008.

The Colombian government also extended its congratulations to president-elect and expected a quick re-incorporation of Paraguay to Unasur.

“Colombia congratulates Mr Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara for his election as president of the republic for the constitutional period 2013/2018”, reads an official communiqué from the Colombia Foreign ministry.

“We are hopeful the elections will help re-establish the “full institutional normalization” in Paraguay and the “quick reincorporation of that country to the South American community”

Finally Colombia ratifies its interest in strengthening friendship and cooperation relations with Paraguay and congratulates the Paraguayan people for a participative and peaceful election day.