Paraguay to Move Embassy to Occupied Jerusalem in Late May After U.S., Guatemala

Paraguay will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by the end of May following the United States and Guatemala, diplomatic sources told Agence France-Presse.

Paraguay's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this issue is under discussion and Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga will talk about it when there is something tangible.

The spokesperson admitted that this is a "very sensitive issue" and his country's government wants to deal with it very seriously, acknowledging at the same time that Paraguay has already taken a number of steps to transfer the embassy to Jerusalem.

Israel has announced that the South American country is the third to announce a move to the holy city, after the US and Guatemala.

Israel's Ambassador to Paraguay Ze'ev Harel indicated that Israel is very grateful for this "important decision to transfer the embassy of Paraguay. This decision taken by (President) Cartes is just and courageous."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said Paraguay President Horacio Cartes will travel to Israel later this month to open the country’s new embassy in the capital.

“Paraguay President Horacio Cartes plans to come to Israel by the end of the month to open an embassy in Jerusalem,” Nahshon said in a statement.

Nahshon hailed the “wonderful news as the international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital gathers momentum.”

The announcement came hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Latin American countries not to relocate their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, as the United States will do next week.

In a visit to Venezuela to meet his counterpart there Nicolas Maduro, President Abbas said he hoped other nations would not follow Paraguay, Guatemala and the United States.

“We hope that other countries on the American continent are not going to move their embassies to Jerusalem as this acts against international law,” said Abbas.

The embassy will be inaugurated next Monday, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba.

The embassy will initially occupy part of the consular work space pending planning and construction of a purpose-built embassy, a long-term project according to the U.S. State Department.

This article has been adapted from its original source.