At a Joint Committee meeting in Brussels on 23 October, the European Union and Paraguay expressed their desire to strengthen their cooperation and maintain a “permanent open” dialogue, according to a press release from the European External Action Service on Sunday 26 October.
The parties expressed their interest in working together in areas of common interest. They confirmed their determination to sign and ratify the Association Agreement between the EU and Mercosur as soon as possible, and to cooperate at regional level, hoping that the EU-CELAC summit in November will produce concrete results.
The parties agreed on the need to step up dialogue and cooperation in the fight against organised crime and to stem the increase in illicit trafficking flows between Europe and South America. With a view to deepening bilateral cooperation, the EU has invited Paraguay to collaborate through EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats).
The two sides reaffirmed their shared vision of effective multilateralism and a rules-based international order with the United Nations at its core. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)