The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, arrived this Sunday in the city of Paris, where he begins an official meeting with the aim of strengthening diplomatic relations with France and making clear the Panamanian position of rejection of the discriminatory list of the European Union (EU) of non-cooperative countries and territories on tax issues.
Mulino reported that the rejection of this list and the relaunch of bilateral relations with France are the main topics in the meeting he will hold this Monday with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
For 11 years, no president of Panama has been received on an official visit at the Elysee Palace, headquarters of the French Presidency.
President Mulino indicated that his objective is to ensure that France supports Panama in its exit from the EU tax list and that “this injustice” does not continue to be committed.
“We neither launder money as a state policy, much less finance terrorism nor are we in a position to sponsor international scoundrels,” Mulino said before his arrival in Paris, where he will be on a three-day official tour.
The president has also clarified that his government has no differences with the Government of France or with the European Parliament.
However, he stressed that as Panamanian leader he has set himself the task of demonstrating to the authorities of France, and the rest of Europe, that the inclusion of Panama in this tax list has no basis. Hence Panama’s dissatisfaction over an outburst that is its inclusion on the tax list for no reason.
President Mulino travels accompanied by the General Director of Revenue, Camilo Valdés, who is an expert on the subject of tax lists; the Superintendent of Banks, Milton Ayón; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha; the designated ambassador to France, Miguel Antonio Bernal; the president of the Action Group for International Financial Equality (GAFIPI), Carlos Raúl Moreno, who have been defending the image of Panama for two years due to the effects of these discriminatory lists.
On the issue of tax lists, Panamanian authorities reaffirmed that Panama excessively complies with the regulations and measures that prevent crimes condemned by the EU list.
