New Indian Embassy opens in Paraguay

August 22: Asuncion, Paraguay:

Paraguay is an important country in South America. It won its independence from Spain in May 1811.

India became an independent country in 1947.

Diplomatic relations between India and Paraguay were established in 1961.

Till January 2022, The Indian Embassy in Argentina used to manage relations with Paraguay. The Indian Embassy in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, started operations in January 2022 and was officially inaugurated today.

The Embassy of Paraguay in India was officially opened in March 2006 and now has Honorary Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

Today, the External Affairs Minister of India, Shri S Jaishankar, visited Paraguay. He did the following important things during this brief visit:

A. Called upon(visited and met) the President of Paraguay, His Excellency Mario Abdo Benitez, at the Presidential palace.

B. Met the External Affairs Minister of Paraguay and issued a joint statement.

C. Met and addressed a gathering of the Industrial Union of Paraguay.

D. Inaugurated a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Asuncion Waterfront, a prime location within the city.

E. Visited historical museums

F. Inaugurated the Indian embassy in Paraguay along with the external affairs minister of Paraguay – Mr. Julio Cesar Arriola.

G. Laid a wreath at the National Pantheon of Heroes to honour the heroes of Paraguay.

Shri S Jaishankar was the first Indian Foreign Minister ever to visit Paraguay on an official trip. The opening of an Embassy is also an important step in relations between the two countries.

Enjoy the moments of this visit in the slideshow below.

India and Paraguay have always enjoyed cordial relations. Paraguay was one of the countries to benefit from the made in India Covid 19 vaccines. 200,000 doses were gifted in 2021.

The two countries also have good trade relations. They traded goods and services worth USD 176.3 million in 2020-21. You can read more about India – Paraguay relations here.