Paraguays Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga Caballero has said that his country will open the countrys new embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Tuesday, following similar steps by the United States and Guatemala. But the minister denied that the embassy opening was linked to the US and Guatemalan decision to inaugurate their missions in Jerusalem. He told the Israeli media on Thursday that the decision on the embassy move was taken for “technical reasons” eight months ago. The Paraguayan decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem does not stop the country from having “strong and close relations” with the Palestinians, the minister insisted. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said that all embassies in Tel Aviv would move to Jerusalem within the coming years. She thanked the US administration for “exerting strong efforts to convince our friends in several countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem because it knows its importance for Israel.” In December, US President Donald Trump sparked global controversy by announcing that the United States would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.