The President elect of Paraguay, Mr. Horacio Cartes, visited the WCO to meet with Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya and Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica on 26 June 2013.

The President elect, who will take office on 15 August, explained that Paraguay is a land-locked country which is located in a strategic position in South America, and therefore Customs plays a key role in its economic growth and development strategy.

The WCO Secretary General thanked the President elect for his visit to the WCO, and expressed his full support for the further enhancement of Customs modernization in Paraguay. Mr. Mikuriya also explained the role played by Customs in contributing to economic competitiveness, protecting society and revenue collection.

The main topics discussed during the meeting were the possible accession of Paraguay to the Revised Kyoto Convention, which would improve business environment and investment climate, the role of Customs with regard to intellectual property rights, including the importance of the WCO’s Interface Public-Members (IPM) tool, and best practices for enhancing transit procedures.

The President elect expressed his appreciation of the contribution made by the WCO to the facilitation and security of international trade, and reaffirmed his interest in strengthening the cooperation between Paraguay and the WCO.