Paraguay offers diplomatic bridge for nations seeking closer ties with Taiwan

As Taiwan seeks to expand its network of unofficial diplomatic relations, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena has positioned his country as a potential intermediary for high-level engagement between Taipei and other global powers, including the United States and Japan.

In an exclusive interview with The Japan Times, Pena offered Paraguay as a neutral venue for such meetings. “I have told the US president that if he ever wants to meet (Taiwanese) President Lai (Ching-te), he's more than welcome to do it in Paraguay,” he said, Caliber.Az reports.

Pena underscored Paraguay’s unique diplomatic standing as the only South American country to maintain formal relations with Taiwan. “There are not many places in the world where you can bring together the president of Taiwan and the leaders of other nations that are our good friends,” he added, following a summit in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The meeting led to a notable upgrade in bilateral ties, establishing a new strategic partnership between Japan and Paraguay.

While acknowledging the potential for a strong backlash from Beijing, Pena reaffirmed his government’s commitment to Taipei. He emphasized that Paraguay is “more than willing to support and be a strong ally” to Taiwan.

Demonstrating this stance, Pena hosted a trilateral “friendship reception” in Tokyo on May 22, co-organized by Taiwan’s representative office (TECRO) and the Paraguayan Embassy. The event featured Lee Yi-yang, head of TECRO in Japan, as one of the keynote speakers.

Also in attendance were Japan’s Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, several Japanese lawmakers, and diplomats from countries without official diplomatic ties to Taiwan. In his address at the reception, Pena declared, “Paraguay stands proudly as a bridge between Japan and Taiwan, two nations that have long believed in us and in whom we place trust.”

By Vafa Guliyeva