SECRETARY RUBIO: Before we sign it I just want to say a few words in English and Spanish. I think this is just another step in the continued growth of our relationship between our two countries. I think this MOU reflects that continued cooperation. In fact, as we were commenting in our meeting a moment ago, we’ve always had strong links between the United States and Paraguay; those links have only grown stronger.
And agreements like this and others that I hope will happen in the future will begin to create real concrete progress, institutionalize the deep ties between our two countries moving forward so that they’re not just the product of one administration or one era but they become enduring and can survive the shifts in political winds that happen in democracies and in – from time to time. But nonetheless, the underpinnings in the foundation remain firm and strong. So very proud to be a part of this today and I think it’s a testament to that.
SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via interpreter) In Spanish, what I mean is that clearly the relationship between the United States and Paraguay has always been very close, and very, very strong. But what we have seen in the past year and a half has been incredible. The relationship between both countries has grown on a historic scale and today’s agreement is simply evidence of that. What we are aiming for is to establish a relationship that not only continues to grow, but that also becomes part of something permanent, so that regardless of the changes in government that may occur in the future —for example, in our system we see changes every 4 or 8 years—, the basis, the foundation of the relationship between both countries can survive any of the political changes that may take place in the future.
I can tell you that we —obviously when I was a senator, I was very interested in the relationship between our country and Paraguay. But now in my role as Secretary of State, it is even easier for me to contribute to this effort. Based on what we can achieve in the next year and a half, and what we have achieved together over the past year and a half, which are not only bilateral issues but also regional issues, I think the relationship between the United States and Paraguay will change forever, in an extraordinary way. And today is evidence of that and represents one more step on that path that we have, that goal that we have in common.
FOREIGN MINISTER LEZCANO: Really brilliant. I will start in English. Thank you so much, Marco, because we are working so close. Our strategic alliance is quite important for both countries. We are working on security, trade, investment. We are working not only at the level of bilateral cooperation and security, we are working the whole month on the security cooperating in our region but also globally. That is that we share values and principles – freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law – that allow us to work very close together.
I would like to think, through this agreement today, we are still deepening our cooperation. And thank you so much, Marco, because your work is quite hard for us.
(In Spanish.)
SECRETARY RUBIO: Okay.
FOREIGN MINISTER LEZCANO: Let’s sign.
(The Memorandum of Understanding was signed.)
(Applause.)
SECRETARY RUBIO: Do I leave it here?
STAFF: Yes.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, quick question. I’m sure you saw a Newsweek cover saying what Trump got right in Venezuela. And we want to know when we expect elections in Venezuela.
SECRETARY RUBIO: It’s a process, and they have to have them. Obviously, there’s a lot of work that has to happen to lay the groundwork for an election. As I said, you have to have true freedom of the press. You have to have multiparty participation. You have to have national reconciliation. I mean, you have to have an electoral commission that will accurately count the votes. So it has to happen and it’s a work in progress, but again, it’s been about six months since Maduro was removed, and there’s a lot going on at the same time with economics and so forth.
So I think we’re moving on two tracks. We want to improve the daily lives – help improve the daily lives of Venezuelans economically so that they’re better off, they’re more prosperous. I think that helps as well facilitate the political transition. And you also have to have a process where every element of political society in Venezuela has a role to play, not just in constructing elections but constructing the government and future of the country.
So I think it’s going to require some persistence and a little bit of patience – not years, but certainly months and weeks. It’s going to take some time to get there. You’re dealing with a system that’s been in place now for almost three decades, so it’s not going to be from one day to the next. If you look at the transitions in Eastern Europe, after the fall of the Iron Curtain; if you look at Paraguay, a country that undertook a transition from authoritarianism to democracy, it took them almost three and a half years to complete that process.
These things are difficult. They don’t happen – I know we are – I know we are all used to instant results or at least expectations of instant results, but if you want to do it right, what you want to have is a democratic transition that happens that brings society together, where there’s a national reconciliation, where you have political parties that are able to openly and freely participate, where you have an electoral count but you also have an economy and a country whose institutions are functioning so that they’re not inheriting a disaster, they’re not inheriting the reconstruction process, they’re inheriting a functional state.
So all of that is to say that these things don’t happen from one day to the next, but the needle is pointing in the right direction. And even though the progress is probably slower than all of us would want, there is progress and progress will happen, and we’re committed to it.
Okay? Thank you.
QUESTION: Secretary, can you speak about the latest on Iran and whether we’re close to reaching a deal? We’ve seen the messaging from the Qataris about their mediation. Do you – how do you see the possibilities of a deal with Iran and with their talks —
SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, I think there’s two things to talk about when there’s a deal. There’s the big deal, which is the one that has to do with their nuclear ambitions. They can never have a nuclear weapon; the President’s been clear about that. So the denuclearization of Iran is the ultimate deal. I think the immediate deal and the one that you’ve seen a lot of focus on is the straits. The straits – there are ships moving through the straits, there are oil – there is oil moving right now through the straits. So the straits are open.
Nonetheless, I think that there is a conversation and a negotiation that we are involved in between Oman and Iran on how more ships can be able to go through their safely in the short term as we move towards these longer-term talks about denuclearization. And suffice it to say there’s been progress made in those talks but not finality yet. We’re hoping that will happen very shortly.
Okay? Thank you guys.
FOREIGN MINISTER LEZCANO: Thank you so much.
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