Paraguay President Peña to make first state visit to Taiwan in May

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Paraguayan President Santiago Peña will lead a delegation to Taiwan from May 7 to 10 for a state visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The ministry said President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) will welcome Peña with military honors on May 8, host a state banquet, and confer on him the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan-Paraguay ties.

During his stay, Peña will witness the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents, visit the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan, and receive an honorary doctorate from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, according to MOFA.

The Paraguayan delegation will also include officials such as Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and Industry and Commerce Minister Marco Riquelme, as well as representatives of leading Paraguayan companies.

Paraguay is one of the Republic of China's (Taiwan) 12 diplomatic allies around the world. The two countries established diplomatic relations 69 years ago.

Peña's previous visit to Taiwan was in May 2024, when he attended Lai's inauguration.