During Paraguayan President Santiago Peña's historic visit to Manila—the first by a Paraguayan leader in over 60 years—Presidents Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Peña oversaw the signing of multiple agreements to boost trade, agriculture and people-to-people ties.
The agreements, signed on Monday, include memoranda between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Paraguay’s Rediex investment network. Marcos highlighted potential Philippine exports of tuna, sardines and milkfish, while Peña noted the recent opening of the Philippine market to Paraguayan beef, pork and poultry, with further opportunities in grains and agro-industrial products.
Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and her Paraguayan counterpart Ruben Ramirez also signed a visa waiver for ordinary passport holders to facilitate business and tourism travel. The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation on renewable energy and to leverage their roles in ASEAN and Mercosur.
The visit builds on formal diplomatic relations established in 1962 and marks the first presidential exchange between the Philippines and Paraguay.
