for the presidential runoff election.
After receiving greetings from the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations accredited in the country, following his recent appointment, he also said instructions had already been sent to Peruvian consulates to make preparations for the second round.
"We are making every effort to ensure the process unfolds properly; therefore, instructions have already been sent to our consulates that the elections will be held on June 7, even though they have not yet been called, because they have to rent polling venues and the necessary funds must be sent to them," Pareja told Andina News Agency and TV Peru.
The diplomat specified that although the call for the presidential runoff election has not yet been issued, the Foreign Affairs Ministry is already making preparations to ensure everything proceeds normally and consulates can work ahead of time, as many Peruvian communities must travel long distances to cast their ballots.
The minister underscored that his sector is working to ensure the electoral process abroad is carried out normally and transparently.
"It is known that the first round was complicated because the ballots were so large and there were significant delays. But I believe the second round will be much smoother, because the ballot paper will be much smaller and voters will simply have to choose between one candidate and the other," he said.
Pope Leo XIV's visit
At another point, the minister expressed his excitement over the upcoming first anniversary of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, as well as the Holy Father's announced visit to Peru.
The government official indicated that although the date of the Supreme Pontiff's visit to the country has not yet been defined, he hopes the papal tour of the Americas will include Peru as one of its first stops.
"A date has not yet been set, but he has expressed his wish to come to Peru, and we hope that when he travels to the Americas, one of his first destinations will be Peru," Pareja remarked.
"We also hope he visits Chiclayo, and I believe he has expressed his wish to travel to a town in the highlands and in the Amazon as well. That will all be organized once he announces his trip to Peru, and hopefully that will happen soon," he added.
The Cabinet member highlighted that Pope Leo XIV has always expressed his affection for Peru, beginning on the day he was named Pope, when he made a reference to Chiclayo from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
"Which is like his hometown, so we are very excited," he underscored.
