Paraguay – Meeting between Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano (September 10, 2026)

Daily press briefing by Pascal Confavreux, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs spokesperson – Paris, September 10, 2026

Paraguay – Meeting between Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano (September 10, 2026)

On September 10, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot welcomed his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, for a meeting following on from the bilateral political consultations held in Paris on April 28.

The Ministers discussed bilateral cooperation on security matters, and particularly drug trafficking, a shared priority. On this same occasion, they issued a joint statement on the fight against drug trafficking. They applauded the implementation of the declaration of intent to combat human trafficking, which was adopted in April, and spoke about expanding bilateral cooperation on this issue.

They discussed economic cooperation between France and Paraguay, as well as reciprocal investment opportunities for our businesses. They also praised the scope of our diplomatic cooperation, following last April’s adoption of a declaration of intent related to cooperation between our diplomatic academies and the Paraguayan academy’s participation in the Fabrique de la Diplomatie event held on September 4 and 5.

The Ministers also addressed regional and international crises, and exchanged views on Venezuela and Haiti. Minister Barrot reiterated the importance for the international community to remain united in condemning the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Lastly, the Ministers discussed their shared priorities in the lead-up to the High-level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. They emphasized the momentum of the French-Mexican initiative to suspend veto powers in the event of mass atrocities, which now enjoys the support of 122 nations.

Fight against drug trafficking – Joint statement issued by the French Republic and the Republic of Paraguay on the occasion of the meeting between Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano (September 10, 2026)

1/ France and Paraguay reaffirm their joint commitment to preventing and combating drug trafficking, dismantling criminal networks, and confronting the health and social consequences of drug use. In light of the growth and complexity of drug trafficking, which affects both of our countries and regions, France and Paraguay strongly believe that international cooperation is necessary to combat this criminal phenomenon. To that end, our actions and our cooperation are extensive and well balanced, and fully compliant with international law and human rights.

2/ Latin America and the Caribbean are priority regions for France. The fight against transnational crime and drug trafficking is a shared concern that brings our countries closer together. During Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s visit to Colombia in November 2025, France presented a series of measures aimed at strengthening its commitment to preventing and combating drug trafficking. In July 2026, during France’s G7 Presidency, France hosted a regional conference on security in the Caribbean, a multilateral initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation in order to more effectively fight organized crime, and especially the traffic of drugs and firearms.

3/ Combating drug trafficking is also a priority for Paraguay, which has adopted a zero-tolerance approach via a comprehensive strategy that combines strengthened security forces and prevention programs. Land and air operations in critical border areas have been stepped up, making it possible to dismantle criminal networks and close major production and storage sites. These efforts are enhanced by Paraguay’s active participation in regional and international initiatives in partnership with other countries, the United Nations, the European Union and other actors.

4/ The bilateral consultations between France and Paraguay held in Paris last April facilitated in-depth discussions on the fight against drug trafficking and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation on security. On that occasion, France and Paraguay adopted a declaration of intent to strengthen cooperation on prevention, investigations and prosecutions aimed at combating human trafficking.

5/ Given the critical importance of these issues for France and Paraguay, and in view of the positive momentum characterizing their bilateral relations, France and Paraguay reaffirm their determination to strengthen their cooperation and their commitment to pursuing a close dialogue on these matters.

Vietnam – Meeting between Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and Lê Hoài Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 10, 2026)

On September 10, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs welcomed his Vietnamese counterpart, Lê Hoài Trung, for a meeting in conjunction with the second official visit to France by Tô Lâm, the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, on the occasion of the International Space Summit.

In line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that France and Vietnam adopted in 2024, and its aim of strategic confidence building between our two countries, the two Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, respect for international law and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

The Ministers also discussed the international and regional crises that have engaged our two countries. In particular, Minister Barrot reiterated the priority need for a ceasefire in Ukraine and hailed Vietnam’s willingness to contribute to the dialogue between the parties to the conflict and to Ukraine’s reconstruction. With regard to Myanmar, the Minister reiterated France’s concerns over the regime’s repeated human rights violations against civilians.

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