Israeli President Isaac Herzog received this Wednesday his Paraguayan counterpart Santiago Peña, who is visiting Israel, where he will inaugurate the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem. The diplomatic representation of this South American country was until now in Tel Aviv. The Paraguayan president was received in an official ceremony at the presidential residence, after which the two men held a political meeting.
“It is an honor for us to welcome you here to Israel. You arrive after an extremely difficult and painful year for the Israeli people. We have lost sons and daughters and 100 kidnapped people are still held in the Gaza tunnels” , said Isaac Herzog. “The friendship you show us shows that Paraguay will always be at our side.”
“We are very happy that you are inaugurating the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem, our holy capital, the eternal capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” Herzog continued. “We also greatly appreciate the fact that together we are fighting against anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and all forms of hatred which constitute the worst disease of humanity. I hope that your visit will bring a message of peace and a bright future in all areas and that it will improve relations between our nations.”
“A large delegation is accompanying me as a sign of support for Israel at this difficult time,” replied Santiago Peña. “It is a moral duty that the people of Paraguay have asked us to do, and we feel that we bring the heart and emotion of more than six million Paraguayans who feel so close to the people of Israel. So for For us, it’s truly a turning point in our history.” “It is important for us to open this embassy (in Jerusalem) as a symbol of our friendship. This visit is very important for the Paraguayan people and I can assure you that all Paraguayans follow it with passion,” concluded the president of the Paraguay.
