President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios on Monday witnessed the signing and presentation of two agreements aimed at strengthening diplomatic cooperation and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Paraguay.

The agreements were signed following the bilateral meeting of the two leaders in Malacañang.

One of the agreements was a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mutual cooperation in the field of diplomatic training between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperative activities involving diplomatic training, skills development, information exchange and academic cooperation projects between the two countries.

The Philippines and Paraguay also signed an agreement waiving visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports.

The agreement institutionalizes visa-free entry privileges for Filipino and Paraguayan ordinary passport holders to facilitate tourism, business and people-to-people exchanges.

The signing came as both countries moved to deepen bilateral relations during Peña’s historic visit to the Philippines, the first by a Paraguayan president.

Earlier, Peña said Paraguay sees the Philippines as an important gateway to Southeast Asia and expressed interest in strengthening ties with ASEAN.

The two leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in trade, food security, renewable energy and regional connectivity. (PNA)