The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, held a bilateral meeting with the president of Peru, Dina Boluarte Zegarra, in which they agreed to strengthen commercial and fiscal ties, strengthen cooperation in strategic areas such as security and reinforce the historical ties between both countries.
Panama and Peru have 32 bilateral agreements in various areas, such as agriculture, science, culture, tourism, trade and security. In addition, they have 121 years of diplomatic relations, during which they have cultivated a solid and fruitful relationship of friendship and cooperation.
The ambassador of Panama in Switzerland, Juan Alberto Castillero, participated in this meeting; the ministers of Economy, Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industries, Felipe Chapman, Javier Martínez-Acha and Julio Moltó, who addressed the trade issue.
Among the issues discussed, the importance of moving forward in the signing of a Double Taxation Agreement and in holding technical meetings to review pending re-exports from the Colón Free Zone was highlighted. In addition, the Peruvian proposal to hold a meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the Free Trade Agreement between Panama and Peru, as well as the holding of the First Meeting of the Administrative Commission of the FTA, was positively valued.
At the meeting of the presidents of Panama and Peru, Panama’s interest in leaving the list of countries or territories considered low or zero taxation, in which Peru has included us since 2001, was highlighted. President Mulino expressed the commitment of his country to work jointly with Peru to address this issue and seek solutions that strengthen fiscal relations between both countries.
In this context, President Boluarte extended a cordial invitation to the Panamanian president to make an official visit to Peru next April.
During this meeting, various topics of common interest were addressed, strengthening cooperation in strategic areas such as security and the coordination of investigations.
Furthermore, Panama expressed its commitment to the fight against transnational criminal organizations, especially within the framework of its membership in the UN Security Council, where it has raised the need to address these global challenges as destabilizing factors for States and democracy. .
In relation to migration, Panama highlighted the importance of “shared responsibility” between countries of origin, transit and destination, promoting safe, orderly and regular migration. Both nations agreed to strengthen the exchange of immigration information, with Panama’s interest in evaluating Peru’s proposal to establish an Interinstitutional Agreement for the Exchange of Migration Information between the National Immigration Service of Panama and the National Immigration Superintendency of Peru.
A key aspect of the meeting was SIMA-Peru’s proposal to establish a naval repair and shipbuilding center in collaboration with Panama, including the construction of a merchant training ship and an oceanographic vessel. In addition, Peru announced the upcoming visit to Panama of a Peruvian sailing training ship.
