MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay new government will give priority to bilateral relations, later Mercosur

Eladio Loizaga: dialogue does mean flexibility on our claims of illegality” of the suspension process

The priority of the incoming Paraguayan government of president-elect Horacio Cartes who takes office on Thursday is to recompose bilateral relations with the region’s countries and from then on begin negotiations for the return to Mercosur, said Eladio Loizaga a veteran diplomat who on Tuesday was confirmed as future Foreign affairs minister.

“I’m most grateful to President Cartes for having trusted me with the foreign ministry and the first thing we are going to do is recompose our scheme of relations in the sub-region. We have situations to address with our closest neighbours, so we will start dialogue with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay”, said Loizaga. 

“We have pending issues with Argentina, with Uruguay; we have to recompose all that. Mercosur will be later because our priority are the bilateral relations”, underlined the incoming minister who has been the spokesperson on foreign affairs for president elect Cartes.

However Loizaga made it a point to underline that dialogue with the countries that suspended Paraguay from Mercosur “will not mean flexibility on our claims of illegality of the whole process”.

“I think they are all well aware the position of President Cartes. Paraguay has clearly displayed a position reference the situation and we are going to keep to that with dignity”, he added emphatically.

Paraguay challenges the Mercosur suspension of June 2012, when Fernando Lugo was removed and replaced by Federico Franco. The impeachment by the Senate and with an overwhelming vote was done according to the Paraguayan constitution and accepted by Lugo. But Mercosur described it as a ‘congressional coup’ and suspended Paraguay until a new presidential election.

But the three other full members of Mercosur taking advantage of the suspension approved the incorporation of Venezuela as full member which had been blocked by the Paraguayan Senate. According to Mercosur charter such decisions must be unanimous and with all members attending.

Mercosur last July in Montevideo decided to lift the suspension but Paraguay has insisted that any return must take into consideration respect for the country’s dignity, rule of the law, international law and Mercosur institutions.

The situation is so controversial that Paraguay did not invite Venezuela that currently holds the Mercosur chair to the inauguration of Cartes. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay presidents have confirmed attendance on Thursday 15 August.