JERUSALEM (JTA) — Paraguay’s outgoing president announced that he plans to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv before the end of his term.
President Horacio Cartes will leave office in mid-August when a new government will take over.
Cartes made the announcement on Thursday during an event in the capital Asuncion marking Israel’s 70th Independence day, which was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to Paraguay Ze’ev Harel and Paraguay’s President-elect Mario Abdo Benítez.
It is not known if Cartes consulted with Benítez before announcing the move.
The United States is scheduled to dedicate its new Jerusalem embassy, to be housed in the current building of the Jerusalem consul general, on May 14. Guatemala said it would move its embassy two days later on May 16. President Jimmy Morales is scheduled to attend.
The Czech Republic on Wednesday said it will appoint an honorary consul in Jerusalem, the first in a three-step process to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Earlier this month, the parliament of Honduras passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the country’s embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
