In a meeting held in Puerto Iguazú, representatives from the mayoral offices of Presidente Franco and Puerto Iguazú, along with diplomats from Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussed the formal creation of a binational integration committee. The initiative seeks to streamline border procedures and resolve everyday problems faced by residents on both sides of the border.
Councilman Lucio Vera, chair of the International Affairs Committee of the Municipal Board of Presidente Franco, highlighted the need for the committee given the imminent full opening of the Puente de la Integración. “We fully agree on the need to create this committee, thinking about the full opening of the bridge and all the situations that arise at the border,” he said.
Among the points discussed is the possibility of buses coming from Puerto Iguazú crossing the bridge, entering Presidente Franco, and continuing to Ciudad del Este. Another central topic was the simplification of protocols for medical emergencies and consular assistance. Vera mentioned the current bureaucratic barriers for transporting patients by ambulance between the countries and the difficulties in repatriating Paraguayans who die in Argentina. “There are many protocols and procedures that must be simplified to address urgent situations affecting our compatriots,” he said.
After this first official meeting, the parties agreed to a new meeting in Presidente Franco, where they hope to advance the formal documentation of the committee. According to Vera, binational regulations already provide for this type of mechanism, and the next step is to adapt the administrative process and coordinate work between the foreign ministries.