This Monday afternoon, President Laurentino Cortizo received the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, in order to evaluate the bilateral ties from the country that can serve as a “hub to crystallize rapprochements between Central America , the Caribbean and Europe.
Accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Erika Moynes; Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama and Economy and Finance, Héctor Alexander, the Panamanian president received the delegation of the European Union in the Cabinet Council Room, for a meeting that lasted about half an hour.
Cortizo took advantage of the meeting to tell Borrell that our country is on the side of international law “what we have done in relation to Russia and Ukraine before the UN and the OAS is the right thing to do, what is expected of a country like Panama,” he said. .
Coming from Chile where he held meetings with President Gabriel Boric and other authorities, Borrell concludes his six-day tour of the region in Panama by attending the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central America and the Caribbean who participate in our country in the meetings of SICA and Caricom.
Panama holds the temporary presidency of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and in this call it adds representatives of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), in addition to organizing separate exchanges with the heads of Foreign Affairs of both organizations.
In his meeting with President Cortizo, the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the Panamanian President and, above all, for Panama’s support regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, before forums international.
“We have condemned the invasion of Ukraine and we are going to continue to condemn it, just as we are going to continue to demand the withdrawal of the invading forces from Ukrainian territory,” Cortizo replied.
For his part, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said that the purpose of his visit to Latin America is to “pay more attention, especially to Central America and the Caribbean” and that this visit serves to reaffirm the will of the European bloc to strengthen that relationship.
“You are going to be the neuralgic point of connectivity for that relationship between the EU and this region of the continent”, stressed Borrell. In this sense, he congratulated Panama for the call for important dialogues between presidents and foreign ministers’ forum, which reaffirms the efforts of the National Government to strengthen the conciliatory role that this country has always played.
The visit of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also includes official talks with the President of the Republic, and Chancellor Erika Mouynes; a tour of the Panama Canal.
Also participating in this meeting were the Vice Chancellor, Marta Gordón; Yavel Francis Lanuza, from the Embassy of Panama to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Mission to the European Union and Isbeth Quiel, Director of Foreign Policy of the Foreign Ministry.
