Turkey will open an embassy in Asuncion, a day after Paraguayan President Mario Abdo reversed the previous administration’s decision to move its embassy in the Zionist entity to Al-Qud (Jerusalem).
Turkey’s ambassador to Paraguay has been operating out of Buenos Aires. Turkey has a consulate in Asuncion and another in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.
By opening the embassy, Turkey is expressing support for Paraguay’s stance on the Zionist entity, Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni told reporters.
The Paraguayan embassy was relocated to Jerusalem in May. With the move, Paraguay followed in the footsteps of the US and Guatemala, which unveiled its new Jerusalem embassy on May 16, two days after the US relocated its embassy to Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, however, Castiglioni announced that the embassy would move back to Tel Aviv, explaining that “Paraguay wants to contribute to an intensification of regional diplomatic efforts to achieve a broad, fair and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
In response to the announcement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry to return the Israeli ambassador to Paraguay back to Israel for consultations, and to close the Israeli embassy in Paraguay.
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez later explained the decision to move the embassy back to Tel Aviv was meant for Israelis and Palestinian Arabs “to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed Paraguay’s decision and announced that it would be immediately opening an “embassy” in Paraguay’s capital Asuncion.
Source: Agencies
