Panama's Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, held a meeting yesterday in Oslo with his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, who showed "interest in investment matters, both in public projects and those executed by the interoceanic Canal," according to the Panamanian government. Panama's Foreign Ministry reported in a press release that during the meeting, the Norwegian minister "took the opportunity to announce the interest of this Scandinavian country in approaching Panama on investment matters, both in public projects and those executed by the Panama Canal." The Panama Canal aims to increase its revenue by up to 25% through the business diversification it is promoting through four major projects totaling $8.5 billion in investment, involving the construction of a gas pipeline and two new ports. This "interest" will also include Norway's participation in the II International Economic Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in January 2026 in Panama organized by CAF, and in the 56th General Assembly of the OAS in June. Barth Eide, in turn, thanked Panama for its "support in the regulation and control of oil tankers, as well as for initiatives within the UN that seek to preserve peace in the world," according to the official information from the Panamanian chancellery. Espen Barth Eide also "expressed satisfaction" with the presence of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino in Oslo to attend the presentation on Wednesday of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, as a "demonstration of a position in favor of democracy and international law."
