MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay is Paraguay's gateway to the world, both Presidents agree

Abdo awarded Lacalle the highest distinction possible

Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez Sunday stressed his country needed Uruguay's help to secure a sovereign presence to have a way out to the sea so that its exports can reach the world and that Montevideo “has always been a port of exit.”

Abdo made those remarks in a joint press conference in Asunción with his Uruguayan colleague Luis Lacalle Pou as both leaders agreed to explore possibilities in that regard.

“We want to advance even more in seeing what possibilities we have for Paraguay to have a presence on the coasts, in Uruguayan ports, to have sovereignty in a territory that can allow us to access the world from Uruguay,” Abdo said.

The Paraguayan leader also thanked Lacalle for Uruguay's help “in difficult times” during the pandemic, when they faced a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines.

Abdo also awarded Lacalle Pou the National Order of Merit decoration in the rank of “Collar Mariscal Francisco Solano López,” the highest distinction possible.

Meanwhile, the Uruguayan head of state insisted his country belonged to a bloc that “needs to open up to the world.”

“The ability of the Uruguayan and Paraguayan governments to push with the public sector, and through the private sector, the installation of ports with Paraguayan products in our country will generate a very important situation of mutual synergy,” Lacalle concurred with his host.

Given the “economic and productive growth of Paraguay” there is an opportunity to “move forward in this sense,” he went on. “Uruguay is Paraguay's natural way out to the sea.”

Regarding his plans to modernize and open up the regional trade alliance, the Uruguayan leader said that “I recognize Paraguay's attitude of not opposing, it is very important not to have this explicit obstacle at least when today in Mercosur we are discussing modernization, which is so important for us.”