Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios on Monday signaled his country’s intention to deepen trade and regional ties through stronger engagement with the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Paraguay’s planned accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
Speaking during his bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang, Peña said Paraguay has already submitted its note of intention to join the treaty and expressed hope that it would be taken up during the next ASEAN meeting.
Peña emphasized Paraguay’s growing interest in the Indo-Pacific region and the Philippines’ strategic role within ASEAN, saying stronger engagement with Manila could help open broader economic and diplomatic opportunities for his country in Southeast Asia.
“Paraguay observes with great interest the dynamism of this region and the role the Philippines play in the Indo-Pacific,” Peña said.
The Paraguayan leader said deeper ties with ASEAN and the Philippines could expand opportunities in trade, investments, logistics, and industrial cooperation, particularly as Paraguay currently chairs Mercosur — the South American trade bloc composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
According to Peña, stronger engagement with ASEAN would help position Paraguay as a strategic logistics bridge between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans while improving access to some of Asia’s fastest-growing markets.
“In this context, Paraguay will cease to be a landlocked country limited by its geography and instead become an active actor within global supply chains,” he said.
The TAC serves as ASEAN’s legally binding framework promoting peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, sovereignty, and cooperation among member-states and partner-countries. Major global powers including the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and France are among its signatories.
Peña also reaffirmed Paraguay’s support for the Philippines’ food security efforts following Manila’s decision to open its market to Paraguayan beef, pork, and poultry imports beginning in August 2025.
He added that Paraguay hopes to further expand exports of grains, maize, oilseeds, and other agricultural products to the Philippines.
For his part, Marcos said both leaders discussed ways to boost trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, including the possible export of Philippine products such as tuna, sardines, and milkfish to Paraguay.
Marcos also welcomed the signing of several agreements during Peña’s visit, including a visa waiver agreement and a memorandum of understanding on diplomatic training cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries.
The president said the visa-free arrangement is expected to strengthen tourism, business activities, and people-to-people exchanges between Manila and Asunción.
Trade figures presented during the meeting showed that total trade between the Philippines and Paraguay reached $2.2 million in 2025, with Philippine exports amounting to US$1.9 million and imports totaling $322,400.
Peña’s visit marked the first official trip to the Philippines by a Paraguayan president since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1962. He was accorded arrival honors, including a 21-gun salute, at Malacañang Palace.