Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security At the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you all for being here.  It’s a great day to reaffirm the strong ties and bonds of cooperation, partnership, and alliance between the United States and the Government of Paraguay – the nation of Paraguay – that I visited as a Senator just a couple of months ago —

FOREIGN MINISTER RAMÍREZ:  Yes, exactly.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  — and we talked quite a bit and interact.  And this is just another example of cooperation and the ability to work together to prevent something that we – both countries are very concerned about, and that is illegal and irregular migration, which poses a national security threat.  And so the ability to work together on this in partnership is extraordinary.  And I want to thank the foreign minister for being here today.  I want to thank my friend, the President – (in Spanish) – I was going to say President Peña, who’s a great, strong partner and ally of the United States.  And we’re very happy to be signing this here today along with our partners from the Department of Homeland Security. 

(In Spanish.)  Thank you for being here.

FOREIGN MINISTER RAMÍREZ:  Thank you.  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary Rubio.  You are a very close friend of our government, of our country.  You have been the only one after 50 years of Senator visiting Paraguay and that represents a very important alliance that we are developing.

Today this agreement represent our deep engagement with our government to work not only on migration program but also in security.  We are working in trade.  We are working on – as well as on investment.  We are working in security cooperation, and that represent the (inaudible) agenda, the bilateral agenda.  It means the diversify of the alliance that we have as Paraguay Government with the United States Government and personally with you, Secretary, is amazing to work and cooperate with all your staff here as well.  Really is a pleasure to me.  Thank you for hosting us for this meeting. 

And the homeland security secretary, really, we appreciate very much this agreement that represent the opportunity to work in several issues.  We were discussing about the visa waiver.  We are discussing about our common and shared values and principles – democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law, that represent our principles and values shared.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you.

DEPUTY SECRETARY EDGAR:  Yeah.  First of all, Minister Ramírez and Secretary Rubio, thank you so much for the diplomacy, being able to help us.  The Secretary and myself have been very focused on establishing safe third country agreements within Latin America, South America, and even in Africa.  So this has been a big step for us.  We’re very appreciative of the opportunity to be able to work with you. 

Like you said, we did talk a little bit kind of behind the scenes about the Visa Waiver Program and some of the different programs that are out there, where we work together.  And we are very much appreciative of everything that Paraguay is doing.  We look at Paraguay as a law enforcement and border security partner.  You guys have been a great partner, and this is a great step.

The American asylum system is one that has been significantly abused in the previous administration.  And being able to sign an agreement like this really starts to loosen the burden within Homeland Security and our ability to be able to process and provide the asylum process to people that are actually deserving of it and go through the process.  So we just want to thank you for what you’re doing.  We want to thank you for your partnership. 

Secretary, we just think everything that you do and with your team – we’re always appreciative.  Thank you.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you.  And thank you, both.  I also want to thank your staff and the team at Homeland Security for putting this together, and our team here at the State Department, and your team.  Without your team we couldn’t be here.  (Laughter.)  Muchas gracias.

Okay.  Well, let’s sign. 

FOREIGN MINISTER RAMÍREZ:  (In Spanish.)  (Laughter.)

MODERATOR:  Secretary Rubio, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Edgar, and Foreign Minister Ramírez are signing a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests.  This memorandum will further our cooperation to deter illegal immigration and promote hemispheric security.

(The agreement was signed.)

(Applause.)

QUESTION:  (In Spanish.) 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  (In Spanish.)

QUESTION: (In Spanish.)

SECRETARY RUBIO:  (In Spanish.)

The question, if I may in English, is just asking about whether U.S. forces will be involved in the Western Hemisphere and going after drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks.  There are designated narco-terrorist groups operating in the region.  Some of them utilizing international airspace, international waters to transit poison into the United States.   And those groups will be confronted.  The President has made that clear from the time he has operated. 

In specific, the question was about the Cartel of the Suns, the Cartel de los Soles, which is a criminal organization that happens to masquerade as a government.  The Maduro regime is not a government.  It’s not a legitimate government.  We’ve never recognized them as such.  They are a criminal enterprise that basically has taken control of a national territory, of a country, and who by the way are also threatening U.S. oil companies that are operating lawfully in Guyana. 

So the President has been very firm.  Anything that’s a threat to the national security threat to the United States he’s going to confront.  And – but obviously I have nothing further to add to that at this point.  Thank you. 

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, if I may. 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yes.  One more. 

QUESTION:  How are the preparations for the Putin-Trump meeting going in Alaska?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  They’re going very fast because this was put together very quickly and it’s in Alaska.  So we’ve got to get there.  We’ll see how tomorrow plays out.  As the President said, his hope is to interact with Putin tomorrow and sort of get a sense very quickly and early whether a peace is possible or not. 

The President has spoken to him, I believe, four times to him by phone and felt it was important to now speak to him in person and look him eye – in the eye and figure out what was possible and what isn’t.  This is the President at peace.  He wants that war to end.  He’s going to do everything he possibly can.  If he sees an opportunity to talk about achieving peace, he’s going to pursue it.  And we’ll know tomorrow at some point – as the President said, probably very early in that meeting – whether something is possible or not.  We hope it is. 

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary —   

QUESTION:  (In Spanish.) 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  (In Spanish.)

QUESTION:  (In Spanish.)

SECRETARY RUBIO:  (In Spanish.)  I’m sorry. 

QUESTION:  Secretary, do you think that the Ukrainians are prepared to cede any land (inaudible) control, or are we looking at more a return of potentially Russian forces from the current front line of the war?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, to achieve a peace, I think we all recognize that there’ll have to be some conversation about security guarantees.  They’ll have to be some conversation about territorial disputes and claims and what they’re fighting over.  All of these things will be part of a comprehensive thing.  But I think the President’s hope is to achieve some stoppage of fighting so that those conversations can happen.  These are highly technical things that take some time to work out. 

So what – to have a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, you will need agreement from both Ukraine and Russia.  And this war has been going on for three and a half years now.  It was a war that started under the previous administration.  The President has inherited that, and he’s trying to do now what he can to bring it to an end.  But obviously the longer these wars go on, the harder they are to end. 

And even as I speak, even as we talk here now, there are changes happening in the battlefield which have an impact on what one sides views as leverage or the other.  So that’s the reality of ongoing fighting, which is why a ceasefire is so critical.  That’s been our proposal from Jeddah when we left in Saudi Arabia. 

But we’ll see what’s possible tomorrow.  Let’s see how the talks go.  And we’re hopeful.  We’re – we want there to be a peace.  We’re going to do everything we can to achieve one, but ultimately it’ll be up to Ukraine and Russia to agree to one.  Okay.  Thank you, guys.

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