Paraguay 'committed' to keeping Taiwan ties, foreign minister says

TOKYO -- Paraguay has no intention of following countries in Latin America and elsewhere that have cut ties with Taiwan in favor of China, Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano told Nikkei Asia on Monday.

"We engage with Taiwan because [of] our peace, democracy, freedom, human rights conditions, the rule of law ... principles [which] are very important," Ramirez said in an exclusive interview during a visit to Japan. He said Paraguay is "very committed" to its current policy of recognizing Taiwan as long as President Santiago Pena's government runs the country.