Taiwan and Paraguay sign a reciprocal 90-day visa-free agreement

STRONG FRIENDSHIP:
Paraguay supported Taiwan’s international participation, and the two countries are working on a smart technology park

• By Lee I-chia / Personal reporter

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano signed a reciprocal visa-free agreement in Taipei on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Ramirez and senior officials arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday for a four-day visit and met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office on Thursday before signing the agreement at the ministry on Friday.

Lin wrote on Facebook that to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Paraguay in 2017, the two countries announced that Taiwanese and Paraguayans will enjoy reciprocal visa-free treatment for stays of up to to 90 days (effective from July 12 of that year. ), but no official agreement had been signed.

Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Lin also expressed his gratitude to Ramirez for personally visiting Taiwan and signing the official agreement with him at the ministry.

This is Ramirez’s second visit to Taiwan this year.

The previous visit was in May, when Ramirez and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena attended Lai’s inauguration ceremony, Lin said.

The visits demonstrated the deep and close friendship between the two countries, he added.

Ramirez, during the meeting with Lai, emphasized Paraguay’s unshakable friendship with Taiwan and said Paraguay will continue to deepen diplomatic relations and support for Taiwan, Lin said.

Lin said he also thanked Pena and Ramirez for supporting Taiwan’s international participation, including expressing support for Taiwan’s inclusion during UN General Assembly and World Health Assembly meetings.

Economic and trade relations between the two countries are flourishing as the ministry uses Taiwan’s technological strength to help Paraguay’s second-largest city, Ciudad del Este, establish a Taiwan-Paraguay smart technology park, he said.

Taiwan is the largest export market for Paraguayan pork, the second largest for beef and the third largest for sesame, Lin said, adding that the nation will continue to work to reduce tariffs on 19 types of products imported from Paraguay, which would be beneficial for bilateral. trade volume, create approximately 25,000 job opportunities in Paraguay and allow Taiwanese to enjoy Paraguayan products at lower prices.

After the signing of the agreement on Friday, Lin hosted a banquet for Ramirez and the Paraguayan delegation, during which the two sides exchanged ideas on how to further deepen diplomatic relations and continue bilateral economic and trade exchanges, the ministry said.

They also discussed seeking trilateral cooperation with the US, he added.