MOSCOW, October 27 (Sputnik) — Cabello said:
"Russia is a priority for us. We also want it to be our strategic partner to be able to enter the other countries of Central Asia."
The Paraguayan official, currently in Moscow, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his counterpart Sergei Ryabkov to review issues on a bilateral agenda and evaluate possible areas of economic cooperation and trade.
"We agreed on almost everything… I believe that we shall be able to see results in the coming months," Cabello said.
Russia has stepped up cooperation with Latin American countries in recent months amid the souring of its relations with the West over the Ukrainian crisis.
In September, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, Sergei Naryshkin, said that Moscow saw Latin America as an emerging leader in the multipolar world, while cooperation with Latin American countries was important to Russian foreign policy.
Paraguay, Russia Preparing Framework Deal on Military Cooperation
Paraguay and Russia are preparing a framework agreement on military cooperation, Deputy Foreign Minister Oscar Cabello told Sputnik on Tuesday.
The issue of military cooperation is a topic of negotiation Cabello held with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier.
"What we want is to have a general framework for cooperation," Cabello said.
According to the deputy foreign minister, the sides were not talking about weapons purchases, but that could take place in the future.
Russia is "one of the leaders in this sphere… we are interested in what they could offer us," Cabello said.
Russia is actively expanding military cooperation with Latin American countries, including arms sales, construction of naval maintenance and resupply facilities, and the occasional use of local airbases to host Russian strategic bombers on global patrol missions.
Several Latin American countries have shown interest in cooperating with Russia on high-tech development and manufacturing.
Paraguay Respects Syria Request for Russian Military Help
The Syrian government has the legal right to ask Russia for military help in countering terrorist activity, Paraguayan Deputy Foreign Minister Oscar Cabello told Sputnik.
"We respect the internal questions. If the Syrian government has made a decision, it is their decision to look for alliances and allies," Cabello said.
On September 30, Russia began an air campaign against IS militants in Syria at the request from President Bashar Assad, who Moscow recognizes as a legitimate head of state.
A US-led coalition of some 60 nations has also been bombing IS positions in Syria since September 2014, but without the approval of the UN Security Council or the Syrian government.
Paraguay Invites Gazprom to Take Part in Hydrocarbon Exploration
Paraguay is inviting the Russian energy giant Gazprom to explore and produce oil and gas deposits on its territory, Deputy Foreign Minister Oscar Cabello told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"The idea is that it would be possible to begin exploring and utilizing the oil and gas in Paraguay using the Gazprom technology in the future," Cabello, currently in Moscow, said.
Gazprom could participate both with its own funds, as well as with the state-owned Petropar, the official said.
"There is an availability of licenses for exploration and exploitation in Paraguay at the moment," Cabello said.
Petropar operates several energy facilities in Paraguay, including the country’s only oil refinery, as well as a liquefied natural gas plant.
Gazprom first expressed interest in Paraguay in 2011, saying it wanted to get involved in geological exploration in the country.
