In Group Energy Gas Panamá, the shares are distributed as follows: 24.0% to AES Corp., 24.7% to the Panamanian State, and 0.2% to minority partners. This structure shows that the Panamanian State is a direct partner in both AES Panamá and Group Energy Gas Panamá, and an indirect partner in other generators through AES Panamá. This 49.1% stake will pass to the new consortium. In AES Changuinola, 80.0% corresponds to AES Corp. and 20.0% to AES Panamá. In Generadora de Gatún / GEGP, 51.0% belongs to Interenergy and 49.0% to AES Panamá. Representatives of the investment group EQT, which is participating in the global acquisition of AES Corp., visited Panama and held meetings with government authorities. Minister of the Presidency Juan Carlos Orillac received in his office executives from the fund based in Stockholm, which manages assets of more than 210 billion euros. The Presidency, in a press release, highlighted the fact that EQT is joining with the investment firm BlackRock in the purchase of AES's global operations for a sum exceeding US$33 billion. Once the transaction is completed, the consortium will become an indirect partner of the Panamanian State in several companies in the electricity sector. During the meeting, the group's representatives expressed their interest in expanding operations in Panama through its subsidiary Seven Seas Water Group and the local company Aguas de Panamá, S.A. (APSA). Vikram Dhawan, EQT's director, expressed to Minister Orillac the group's interest in expanding operations in Panama, focusing mainly on the sector of production and supply of drinking water, said the Panamanian Presidency. In turn, Minister Orillac stated that the government of President José Raúl Mulino remains committed to expanding access to drinking water in the country and highlighted the execution of a strategic plan that contemplates the construction of new water treatment plants and the optimization of existing ones. Herry Charrabe, CEO of Seven Seas Water Group; Oliver Wiese, commercial director of this EQT division; and the manager of Aguas de Panamá, Jorge Castillo, also participated in the meeting. The EQT executives also held a meeting with Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, who invited them to establish their regional headquarters in Panama, taking advantage of the incentive program for multinationals, under which some 90 companies have established themselves in the country. In AES Panamá, the Panamanian State maintains a 50.5% stake, while 49.1% belongs to AES Corp. and 0.4% to minority partners.
