BRASILIA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Brazil and Paraguay have begun the process of gradually reopening the common border, according to a joint statement released by Thursday the Brazilian and Paraguayan governments.
The border posts of Foz do Iguacu-Ciudad del Este, Ponta Pora-Pedro Juan Caballero, and Mundo Novo-Saltos del Guaira were all reopened on Thursday.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro posted a photo with Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez on social media along with an extract from the ordinance mandating the reopening of the border, which has been closed for the last seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the statement, the two sides agreed that they will enforce sanitary protocols at the borders in accordance with their respective legislation to prevent the spread of the virus.
"With a view towards the economic recovery of the border regions, (both governments) reaffirmed their willingness to continue working to advance in the construction of the second bridge over the Parana River, between Foz do Iguacu and Presidente Franco, and the bridge over the Paraguay River, between Porto Murtinho and Carmelo Peralta," the statement said.
Both governments also highlighted the importance of reactivating border trade, especially for the preservation of employment, and pointed to a recent agreement that created logistics centers for border trade and established procedures for the delivery of purchases made through electronic commerce.