Asunción, Agencia IP.- In a significant development, executive authorities announced on Tuesday substantial progress in the ongoing negotiations between Paraguay and Brazil concerning the tariff for the electricity generated in the binational hydroelectric power plant Itaipu.
During a press conference following President Santiago Peña’s meeting with the Brazilian delegation, led by Acting Chancellor Maria Laura da Rocha, Paraguayan executive ministers confirmed preliminary agreements on the energy tariff, the operational plan of Itaipu, and the basis for negotiating Annex C of the binational agreement. However, they indicated that the agreements reached must be formalized and officially announced in all their aspects once the corresponding documents are signed.
«We are cautious about announcing the tariff because the tariff is not the only issue here. We are talking about the operational agreement and the bases for the negotiation of Annex C. So we want to announce when we already have everything signed. We can break down each aspect of this negotiation,» said the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Javier Giménez, during the press conference held at the presidential residence Mburuvicha Róga.
«We are being prudent and very serious about announcing when there is a signature, which will happen in the next few days,» the Minister assured.
Paraguayan Foreign Affairs Minister, Rubén Ramírez indicated that the tariff price and the other negotiated aspects will be announced «once the agreements reached are formalized,» and he indicated that «all the corresponding legal procedures will be fulfilled» to make that announcement.
He added that «the results we are achieving are auspicious for both countries» and ruled out concessions that would affect any parties. «From the beginning, we have indicated that this is a negotiation whose virtue is the gain for both countries, with Itaipu as a development factor,» he noted.
The Foreign Affairs Minister indicated that to proceed with the agreement reached, all the protocols of the binational entity will be complied with, which implies a treatment within the scope of the board of directors and the council so that it is fully ratified and registered. «That is one of the processes that we must obligatorily comply with before any announcement,» he said.
Finally, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Carlos Fernández Valdovinos, indicated that «this is a first step» and that «the next one will be as important or even more, which is the negotiation of Annex C.»
Looking ahead, Minister of Economy and Finance, Carlos Fernández Valdovinos, outlined the next steps in the negotiation process. He said, «We have made significant progress on the tariff, operational agreement, and the Itaipu budget for 2024. Our next crucial step will be the negotiation of Annex C, where both countries will present their visions for Itaipu’s future over the next 50 years.»