Paraguayan visa waived for Philippine passport holders
The Philippines and Paraguay have inked a visa-free deal for holders of ordinary passports from both countries.
The Visa Waiver Agreement was one of two official documents signed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ramirez Lezcano on May 11 during Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios' momentous two-day visit to Malacañang.
"During today's historic visit to the Philippines of Paraguay President Santiago Peña Palacios, I had the privilege of signing bilateral agreements on diplomatic training and on a Visa Waiver for Ordinary Passport Holders. I share President Marcos' hope that we keep the momentum going in Philippine-Paraguay relations," Lazaro said in a brief statement.
In his address at Malacañang during the visit, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. celebrated the fact that Palacios' trip was the first presidential visit made by either leader of both countries in the 63-year history of Philippine-Paraguay diplomatic relations.
Marcos shared how the leaders conducted bilateral talks that covered potential areas of cooperation, including agriculture, trade, and renewable energy to generate business interests on both sides.
"Complementing the establishment of institutional and commercial linkages is today's signing of a Visa-Waiver Agreement for ordinary passport holders of the Philippines and Paraguay, which the President and I hope will expedite business tourism and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries," Marcos told the delegation, including media, in Malacañang.
Palacios responded with equal enthusiasm and optimism.
"It is the first time that a president of the Republic of Paraguay set foot on Philippine soil. This fact is not merely protocolar. It is the clearest expression of the political will of both governments to inaugurate a new phase in our bilateral relations grounded in...principles and values, such as mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the economic development of our people," Palacios said.
The exact details, including exemptions and duration of stay, have yet to be released.
The second memorandum of agreement signed during the visit forged mutual cooperation in the area of diplomatic training between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Paraguay Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
