ASUNCION (Reuters) – Paraguay and Venezuela have decided to reestablish diplomatic ties, the Paraguayan foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, after the South American countries broke off relations nearly five years ago.
Formal diplomatic ties were severed in January 2019, when Paraguay recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president.
Following talks between Paraguay’s recently-elected President Santiago Pena and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, the ministry said ambassadors should be formally accredited in the coming days.
“Both parties have committed to restart bilateral relations with complete respect to the fundamental principles of equal rights, the self-determination of peoples, non-intervention in internal affairs of other states and of solidarity,” according to the statement.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garica)