Hanoi (VNA) – Panama considers Vietnam a leading important partner in Southeast Asia, and wants to further deepen comprehensive cooperation with the country, particularly in economy, trade and investment, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino told Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in Hanoi on October 7.
Welcoming President Mulino, his spouse and the high-ranking Panamanian delegation, PM Hung affirmed that the official visit marks an important milestone in bilateral relations and creates fresh momentum for the two countries to enter a new stage of development, building on their traditional friendship and solidarity since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975.
He expressed his delight at the positive development of bilateral friendship and cooperation, noting that the two countries share many interests and complementary potential, particularly in economy, trade and investment.
On the basis of the outcomes of the talks between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and President Mulino, as well as a number of bilateral cooperation agreements signed in security, agriculture, maritime and air transport, customs, tourism, and education and training, PM Hung proposed the two Governments focus on concretising high-level agreements, with clear focal points, roadmaps and results to ensure their substantive and effective implementation for the benefit of both sides.
He called on the two sides to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels, including State and parliamentary diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges; strengthen the presence and activities of diplomatic and consular missions; utilise existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation; facilitate market access for each side’s key products; and enhance transport, logistics and supply-chain connectivity.
He also highlighted the potential for Vietnam and Panama to serve as gateways linking Southeast Asia and Latin America.
President Mulino congratulated Vietnam on its impressive economic growth and expressed his desire to learn from the country’s development experience.
Through the Panama Canal, seaport and airport infrastructure, bonded warehouses, world-class logistics systems and extensive trade networks, Panama stands ready to help Vietnam access markets and supply chains in the Americas, he affirmed, adding that his country also welcomes Vietnamese investment in key infrastructure projects and cooperation in agricultural production and processing, semiconductor development, artificial intelligence and high-quality human resources training.
President Mulino welcomed and agreed with the Vietnamese PM’s proposals, pledging to direct relevant Panamanian ministries and agencies to closely coordinate with their Vietnamese counterparts to implement high-level agreements and concretise the bilateral agenda.
The two leaders agreed to continue negotiations on cooperation agreements in air transport, investment promotion and protection, security, justice and law enforcement, thereby creating a favourable legal framework for bilateral cooperation. They also reached a consensus on the promotion of cultural, tourism and educational exchanges to bring the two peoples closer and strengthen their long-standing friendship.
President Mulino invited PM Hung to pay an official visit to Panama. The latter thanked him for the invitation and asked the two foreign ministries to arrange the visit at a mutually convenient time./.
