Paraguayan President Santiago Pena Palacios began his first State Visit to India with a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in India-Paraguay relations. He was received warmly by Minister of State Harsh Vardhan Malhotra, underlining the growing warmth in bilateral engagement.
Sharing the development on social media, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed President Pena with a message on X: “Bienvenido, President @SantiPenap! President @SantiPenap of Paraguay has arrived in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India, to a ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour. Warmly received by MoS Harsh Malhotra @hdmalhotra at the airport. This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen relationship.”
The visit, which runs from June 2 to June 4, is expected to expand cooperation across political, economic, and cultural sectors. President Pena is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials, and business leaders.
During his stay in New Delhi, President Pena will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also host a lunch in his honour. He will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who is expected to host a state banquet, and will also engage with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
The visit will continue in Mumbai, where the Paraguayan President will interact with state leadership, as well as representatives from India’s business, startup, and technology sectors—a move aimed at expanding commercial and innovation-led partnerships.
India and Paraguay established diplomatic ties on September 13, 1961, and have since built a strong relationship based on shared democratic values and cooperation in key sectors including trade, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and renewable energy.
Paraguay is among India’s key trading partners in Latin America, with Indian companies active in automobile and pharmaceutical sectors. Likewise, Paraguayan enterprises have partnered in joint ventures within India. Both nations also align on major global issues such as UN reforms, climate action, and counterterrorism.
President Pena’s visit is poised to further consolidate strategic and economic relations, while opening new avenues of collaboration between India and Latin America.
