President Luis Lacalle Pou met with his Paraguayan counterpart Santiago Pena in Assumption, and talked about the main issues on the bilateral agenda regarding the Mercosur, the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime and trade between Uruguay and Paraguay.
Likewise, the leaders “deepened the political dialogue on the challenges in terms of democracy, Rule of law and human rights”, a topic that coincides, above all, in their analysis of the political situation of Venezuela.
In that sense, they agreed to “promote the institutional mechanisms of the bilateral relationship as reported through a joint statement.
Bilateral and regional trade
Trade was one of the axes of conversation, not only from the point of view of the bilateral exchange of goods and services, but also from the river cooperation that exists between both countries, where Paraguay use the Port of Montevideo as a transit terminal for its products that are sent abroad. In that sense, Peña and Lacalle Pou “reaffirmed their commitment to increasing commercial exchange, guaranteeing the free circulation of goods and services, as well as the promotion of investments,” for which they agreed to carry out the II Meeting of the Bilateral Trade and Investment Commission.
They also highlighted the importance of physical integration and free navigation, where measures to optimize port operations were central; and reaffirmed the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway as “a regional strategic capital”, for which both presidents “agreed on the need to enhance its growth through measures aimed at increasing the development, modernization and efficiency of navigation and river transport”, among other actions.
As for the Mercosur, The leaders maintained the importance of the economic, commercial, political, social and cultural agenda of the bloc for the benefit of both Uruguay like Paraguay, and they agreed once again on “the need to advance in the improvement of the free trade area and promote better international insertion”; a topic that Lacalle Pou has promoted throughout his mandate and that, with the inauguration of President Peña last year, he has another ally.
The agreements with the European Union and EFTA were also on the conversation table, as well as other negotiations with emerging markets such as the United Arab Emirates.
Drug trafficking, a common concern
He drug trafficking was another of the points discussed at the meeting between Lacalle Pou and Peña, as it is an issue that not only worries in both countries, but in the entire region. In this regard, the presidents “ratified the decision to continue cooperating and deepen the frontal fight against transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, illicit arms trafficking and other related crimes, which threaten the peace and security of the population.
Although the joint statement did not specify whether the topic was discussed, days ago the vice president Beatriz Argimon called for having a regional “common strategy” in the fight against drug trafficking, something that could be carried out in the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino).
Source: Ambito
