During the meeting, they agreed to maintain coordination on security, migration, and border cooperation, as well as to expedite processes related to commerce and land transport. The agenda also included the decoration of the Panamanian president with the Order of Juan Mora Fernández in the Degree of Grand Cross with Gold Plaque. The private meeting between the two leaders took place at the National Theater in San José, as part of an agenda that included protocolary acts and meetings between delegations from both countries. Both presidents highlighted that Panama and Costa Rica share a history and geography that drive joint work. «With a single purpose to interact more, but to make available to those large southern countries our logistics platform, our geographical position, our canal, our ports, our special economic zones so that their large exports of grains, fertilizers, and meat arrive in Panama and from Panama move to different parts of the world through our logistics system,» he stated. Panama has been an associate member of Mercosur since October 2025 after the agreement signed with the block in December 2024 was ratified by the Assembly of Deputies. The announcement was made during his official visit to Costa Rica, where President Mulino and the Costa Rican leader Rodrigo Chaves agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on commercial, agricultural, migratory, logistical, tourist, and security issues. The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, confirmed this Friday that the country will present its permanent accession before the summit of presidents of Mercosur on December 20. The head of state reiterated that the purpose is to deepen the relationship with the South American block based on the use of the Panamanian logistics platform. «As a country, on December 20 we will present before the summit of presidents of Mercosur our permanent accession to that South American group of countries that together add up to hundreds of millions of inhabitants,» he indicated. Mulino highlighted that this accession seeks to facilitate the movement of goods from the south using Panama's logistics infrastructure. Chaves stated that the relationship is based on «the genuine will to act and advance together,» while Mulino emphasized that his mission is to strengthen ties between the two governments.
