Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes participated, together with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the closing ministerial meeting of the Summits of the Americas Review and Implementation Group, in which some of the fundamental texts that will be submitted to the assessment of the presidents who attend the IX edition of these calls, inaugurated, this Tuesday, in Los Angeles.
Among other documents, the health action plans, the green transition plan, on energy and the environment were supported; digital transformation, and democratic governance, a panel that Panama chairs together with Canada, and proposes initiatives to strengthen democracy, support for the work of the electoral missions of the Organization of American States (OAS), strengthen the Democratic Charter and commitments against corruption, central issues of the presidential appointment, in which Panama participates.
In addition, the Panamanian minister was one of the government interlocutors in the Forum of Civil Society and Social Actors, with the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, of which the Panamanian Adela Panizo Asprilla was part.
With her counterparts from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, the foreign minister witnessed a new meeting of the presidents of the countries of the Alliance for Development in Democracy, which welcomed the newly elected president of the latter country, Rodrigo Chaves.
In a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Joly, he discussed issues of economic and commercial importance for Panama, such as the request to expand the number of air frequencies between the two countries and receive more Canadian tourists, who have already shown predilection for the Panamanian offer, in addition to greater support in the processing of Canadian visas, to strengthen the rapprochement of both peoples, particularly investors and athletes.
Also with Minister Joly, Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola, and Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Cooperation (USAID), the Panamanian Foreign Minister was a panelist at the Women’s Leadership Forum: Advancing Gender Equality Gender and Democracy in the Americas, where she presented the “Panama Plan to Promote the Participation of Women in Public Offices”, in the presence of the Panamanian María del Carmen Plata, Secretary of Access to Rights and Equity of the OAS; Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM/OEA) and Clarissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
As part of her work agenda, and in reinforcement of the Climate Diplomacy strategy developed by the Foreign Ministry, Minister Mouynes attended the joint declaration for the protection of the oceans, “America for the protection of the Ocean”, which Panama signs together with Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, United States, Mexico and Peru.
Foreign Minister Mouynes also spoke at the closing session of the VI Youth Forum of the Americas, followed through the networks by more than 2,000 young people, along with the president of Colombia, Iván Duque, and the ambassador of Peru in the OEA Harold Forsyth, with whom he highlighted the importance of ensuring real spaces of representation for young people in decision-making.
In that same space, he coincided with the president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, with whom he discussed the successful proposal to include environmental education as part of the academic curriculum of primary education grades.
During her speeches, as part of the delegation that accompanies President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen to the IX Summit of the Americas Building a sustainable, resilient and equitable future, the Minister of Foreign Affairs established the Panamanian will to promote initiatives leading to jointly resolving the common problems facing the region, not only due to the effect of the pandemic but also due to the similar shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the countries of the continent.
“From the conservation of our rich biodiversity to the necessary economic reactivation, everything goes through consensual international action. Without frank dialogue and supportive collaboration, we will repeat our own mistakes”, said Minister Mouynes about the necessary continental conversation.
The minister accompanied President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen this Thursday in the first plenary session of the Summit, whose debate has focused on four priority areas: Health, recovery and resilience, which addresses the effects of COVID-19; Future Green, which faces the climate crisis, development of social and physical infrastructure for greater sustainability and resilience; Growth and Prosperity with Equity, which addresses inequality and seeks an inclusive future and Strong and inclusive Democracies to face challenges such as the pressure exerted on governments and societies by the pandemic.
At the ministerial level and in the framework of the IX Summit of the Americas, Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes signs the following documents and declarations:
• Memorandum of Understanding in Support of the Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor between the United States, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador
• Adhesion to the Ministerial Economic and Health Dialogue (EHA)
• Joint Declaration to promote Strategic Dialogue between Canada and the Members of the Alliance for Development in Democracy.
The hemispheric meeting continues this Friday and the Panamanian delegation will return to the country this Saturday.
