Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, visited the Republic of Paraguay to strengthen collaboration between the two countries across political, economic, and trade sectors, as well as enhancing people-to-people ties.
The UAE delegation, led by Saeed Abdullah Al Qamzi, UAE Ambassador to Argentina and Non-Resident Ambassador to Uruguay and Paraguay, included representatives from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and business leaders from Terminals Holding.
During her trip, Al Hashimy met with Santiago Peña, President of Paraguay, conveying greetings from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Discussions focused on boosting bilateral relations in sustainability, economy, and infrastructure development.
Al Hashimy praised Paraguay’s prioritisation of negotiations on MERCOSUR’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE. She highlighted the successful completion of the first round of talks during Paraguay’s MERCOSUR presidency, underscoring the agreement’s potential to enhance trade and investment flows between the UAE and MERCOSUR member states, with Paraguay’s strategic role in South America.
She also commended Paraguay’s commitment to renewable energy, particularly hydropower, noting its global leadership in clean energy production, mainly through the Itaipu Dam. In parallel, she highlighted the UAE’s efforts towards climate action and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 through clean energy initiatives.
Discussions encompassed bilateral cooperation and investment prospects in logistics and transportation, including airports, and the Bi-Oceanic Corridor agreement signed during COP28 involving the UAE, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile.
Both sides reaffirmed the robust ties between their countries and reiterated their leaders’ commitment to further strengthening economic and trade relations to foster growth and prosperity in line with their forward-looking visions.
During her visit, Al Hashimy also met with Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Paraguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, to explore additional dimensions of bilateral cooperation.
She signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agriculture and Food Security with Carlos Giménez Díaz, Paraguay’s Minister of Agriculture, underscoring the UAE’s dedication to collaborating with international partners to ensure sustainable food systems and mutual food security goals.
The visit concluded with the signing of a Cooperation in Transportation MoU between Al Hashimy and Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, outlining various opportunities for collaboration, including airport development and logistics.
