MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay requests Pacific Alliance observer status; moves ‘beyond Mercosur’

Deputy Minister Rivas said Paraguay is strengthening relations with other nations

Paraguay has made official its request to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance, (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as part of its policy to strengthen relations with other countries that goes beyond Mercosur and has proven very successful for the exchange of experiences.

Deputy Foreign minister Antonio Rivas said that “Paraguay has requested to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance”, during a meeting last Monday with her Panamanian peer Mayra Arosemena, in the course of an official visit to that country.

“Paraguay is developing a foreign policy oriented to the strengthening of relations with other nations that goes beyond Mercosur and which has been very successful for the exchange of experiences”, said the official release from the Paraguayan Foreign ministry.

Paraguay was temporarily suspended from Mercosur and Unasur following the political impeachment and removal by the Paraguayan Senate of then president Fernando Lugo on 22 June 2012. Vice-president Federico Franco replaced the removed Lugo.

During the meeting with Arosemena, Rivas informed the results of last 21 April elections with president-elect Horacio Cartes winning with 45.85% of votes cast against 36.94% for Efraín Alegre.

Panama is already an observer of the Pacific Alliance and promised to support Paraguay with its request to join the group. During the talks, Paraguay and Panama signed thirteen agreements in different fields and reviewed several cooperation projects, many in process.

The Pacific Alliance which was formalized June 2012 has a population of 210 million, represents 38% of Latinamerica’s GDP with an average growth rate of 5% in 2012, well above the world average of 2.2% and 55% of Latam’s exports.