One of the most memorable events of my Latin American journey was the meeting with Paraguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, in the capital city of Asunción. Ramírez Lezcano is one of the country’s most influential diplomats and has served as Paraguay’s Foreign Minister since 2023.
This visit became my first official trip to Paraguay and, notably, began with discussions at the highest diplomatic level. Such attention reflects Paraguay’s growing interest in Central Asia and its desire to strengthen cultural, educational and economic ties with the region.
During the meeting, we discussed a range of initiatives aimed at expanding creative cooperation, supporting cultural diplomacy, developing international festivals, literary exchanges and future collaborations through the Eurasian Creative Guild and the Spanish-language edition of OCA Magazine.
A particularly significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement in principle to support the first Spanish-language publication in Paraguay of Kashmir Song by the renowned Uzbek writer and statesman Sharaf Rashidov. The project is planned for 2027, marking the 110th anniversary of Rashidov’s birth. The publication is expected to introduce Spanish-speaking readers of Latin America to one of the most important literary figures of Uzbekistan and further strengthen cultural bridges between Eurasia and South America.
The meeting also highlighted the positive momentum in relations between Uzbekistan and Paraguay following recent high-level contacts between the two countries.
Marat Akhmedjanov, the founder of the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press and patron of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London)
