Excellency,

We extend a very warm welcome to you and your delegation to India. Paraguay is an important partner in South America. Our geographies may be different, but we share the same democratic values, and care for the well-being of people.

Excellency,

Your visit is truly historic; marking the second time a President of Paraguay has visited India.

Excellency,

I am pleased that you are accompanied by senior ministers and a strong delegation. You are visiting not just Delhi but also Mumbai, which shows your commitment to building stronger ties between the two countries. I believe that by working together, we can create a path to shared growth and prosperity.

Excellency,

We see new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space, and overall economic partnership.

We have a Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR. We can work together to further expand it.

Excellency,

India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism. There is immense possibility of cooperation to fight against shared challenges such as cybercrime, organized crime, and drug trafficking.

Excellency,

India and Paraguay are integral parts of the Global South. Our hopes, aspirations and challenges are similar. And this is why we can learn from each others’ experiences to deal with these challenges effectively.

We are pleased that India could extend support to Paraguay by sharing its vaccines during the COVID pandemic. We look forward to continuing this spirit of cooperation by sharing more of our capabilities.

Excellency,

I am confident that your visit will add new strength to the pillars of trust, trade, and close cooperation in our relations. It will also add new dimensions to India-Latin America relations.

Last year I attended the CARICOM Summit in Guyana. We discussed enhancing cooperation on many subjects. I think that we can work together with Paraguay and all Latin American countries in all these areas.

Once again, a very warm welcome to India.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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MJPS/ST