Paraguay not to host US military base despite joint drills: president

Visiting Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte said on Tuesday there would be no US military base in his country, despite the presence of US troops and a plan for joint military exercises.

"There won't be a US military base," he told a press conference after meeting with his Chilean counterpart Ricardo Lagos.

He said that currently there are 37 US troops in his country on a medical mission. In addition, some 400 US troops will arrive later this year for joint drills, he said.

The president said his government has the disposition to fight against drug-trafficking, money laundering, piracy and terrorism in the zone of the Triple Border (Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil).

Duarte came here at head of a massive team comprising several cabinet ministers and 25 businessmen to shore up economic ties with Chile.

On Wednesday, Duarte is scheduled to visit the northern Chilean city of Antofagasta, a port Chile has pledged Paraguay as an outlet to export its products via the Pacific Ocean. Paraguay, like Bolivia, is a landlocked country in South America.

Duarte said the port "will allow Paraguay to increase the competitiveness of its exports and reach crucial targets for our economy."

Source: Xinhua