Release. Regarding the publications that appeared in national and international newspapers on the possible transit of military ships from Iran through the Panama Canal, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) clarifies that it remains in compliance with the international obligations derived from the treaties signed and ratified by the Republic of Panama and the provisions contained in the Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama, the Organic Law of the ACP and other regulatory norms that regulate the transit of ships through the interoceanic route.
In this sense, the Treaty Concerning Permanent Neutrality signed between Panama and the United States of America in 1977 and to which 40 countries of the world have adhered expressly establishes that Panama declares the neutrality of the Canal, so that, both in times of peace as in times of war, remain safe and open for the peaceful transit of the ships of all the nations of the world in terms of complete equality, as long as said ships (i) comply with all the regulations, requirements and norms established by the interoceanic to guarantee its safe transit; (ii) payment of the toll corresponding to the type of ship is made prior to transit; and (iii) the vessels do not commit acts of hostility while they are in the Canal.
In addition to the above, all ships must comply with the provisions regarding innocent passage when entering the national waters of the Republic of Panama, as established in Section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 1982.
Based on the aforementioned regulations, the Panama Canal Authority has the obligation to allow the passage of any vessel that meets all these requirements.
In this sense, the Panama Canal watches over regularly, and as part of its daily operation, that the vessels that wish to transit through this route comply with all these requirements and in accordance with the operational guidelines that apply to the more than 13,000 transits to the Panama Canal. year ago the Channel.
