Panama's President José Raúl Mulino traveled to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, this Friday to participate in the 67th Summit of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), which will be held this Saturday, December 20.
This is the 18th trip since Mulino took the presidential chair. During the summit, the Panamanian President will formally present to the Mercosur heads of state the law that ratifies the Economic Complementation Agreement (ACE-76).
Panama is represented by the Minister of Trade and Industries, Julio Moltó, in his capacity as head of the negotiating team, and by Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, who are reviewing the progress of the bloc’s action plan over the last six months. These meetings allow Panama to learn firsthand about the internal workings of Mercosur, its bodies and working mechanisms, which contributes to a broader vision for a gradual and strategic approach with the member countries.
With the ratification of this regulation, the Government believes it would fulfill one of the essential requirements to consolidate Panama as an associate state of Mercosur, reaffirming a strategic economic and political decision that strengthens the country’s position in the region.
Linda Castillo, head of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, explained that the agreement allows for “gradual, flexible and progressive integration, protecting national productive sectors,” while offering Mercosur access to the Panamanian logistics platform, its air, sea and port connectivity, as well as its network of trade agreements with 65 preferential partners worldwide.
President Mulino attends the summit accompanied by Ministers Felipe Chapman (Economy and Finance), Julio Moltó (Commerce and Industries), and Javier Martínez-Acha (Foreign Relations) and the Vice Minister of Domestic Trade, Eduardo Arango.
At the meeting, Panama will make its second official intervention as an associate member of the regional bloc. This Friday also sees the meeting of the Mercosur General Council, with the participation of foreign ministers and other ministers from the member and associate states.
