Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino called on the leaders of South America and Europe to continue promoting multilateralism and fostering productive exchange among peoples through open world trade and economic freedom. This message resonated during the signing of the long-awaited Association Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) at the José Asunción Flores Theater of the Central Bank of Paraguay. Mulino congratulated both the Mercosur and EU teams for signing the agreement, which he said favors economic freedom and the exchange of goods, without the interventionism that has been detrimental to the global economy. Thanks to this historic pact, Panama, which was admitted to Mercosur last year as an Associated State, benefits from the creation of the world's largest free trade area, uniting 700 million consumers. The new situation opens up to both blocs all the advantages offered by Panama's geographical position and logistical facilities. Mulino highlighted that Panama is the premier aviation hub of the Americas, citing figures showing 9.9 million containers handled in 2025. The president also expressed his gratitude to European authorities for helping Panama be removed from a series of unjust discriminatory lists, which restored the country's image and made it accessible to integration and collaboration agreements, like the one signed today in Asunción. Mulino also announced that his government is advancing an initial proposal for the negotiation of a trade agreement with Brazil, which will bring great benefits to both peoples. He noted that the terms of reference could be signed at the CAF Forum, to be held on January 28 in Panama City. "We are proud to be associated with Mercosur," Mulino reiterated. "We will continue to support and work on agreements that expand freedom and reduce excessive regulations."
