Bolivia and Paraguay on Friday announced their agreement to reestablished bilateral ties, marking the end of an 18-month freeze in the relationship between the two South American countries.
The announcement came after a closed-door meeting between Bolivian President Evo Morales and his Paraguayan counterpart, Horacio Cartes, who made a lightning visit to Bolivia.
"We have begun to reestablish relations," Cartes told reporters, adding that he foresees "beautiful and productive days" ahead for the two South American neighbors.
The freeze of relationship was sparked by Paraguay's ouster of its left-leaning president, Fernando Lugo, who was summarily impeached by a majority right-wing Congress.
Regional leaders described the impeachment as a "legislative coup" and Bolivia withdrew its ambassador to Paraguay. But the April elections, in which Cartes won 45.95 percent of the vote, paved the way for the normalization of relations.
The two neighboring countries need each other, Cartes said, promising to improve bilateral ties.
"This visit engenders a unique trust for working together," said Morales. "From this moment, there is trust between the president of Bolivia and the president of Paraguay." Endi
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