During an Argentine television interview on Friday (March 22), Paraguay President Santiago Peña reiterated his support for Taiwan, saying his country is a strong diplomatic ally, united by ties of cooperation and shared values of freedom and democracy.

Meanwhile, also on Friday, the Minister of Industry and Commerce Javier Giménez, during a Mechanism of Economic Cooperation meeting between the two countries announced President Peña would attend the inauguration of Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on May 20.

Peña's May visit will reaffirm shared democratic values, such as freedom of expression, justice, and democracy between the two countries. Both Paraguay and Taiwan are thriving democracies that seek to make the rule of law the cornerstone on which the well-being and progress of their peoples are based.

We believe that Taiwan, a beacon of freedom in Asia, must be an active part of the international system of nations, given the country's many contributions in different areas, which they can share with the world. Paraguay has reiterated this in the United Nations General Assembly, in addition to various other international organizations.

Our relationship of 66-plus years is now more solid than ever. Both countries have agreed to establish a partnership of cooperation for the development of their peoples, based primarily on a community of shared interests and ideals, that will be bolstered during Peña's upcoming visit.

At this difficult time in history, we believe global democracy needs international support from all nations, while other democracies also need to support one another, which is the fundamental essence of the strong relations between Paraguay and Taiwan.