On the afternoon of October 6th, at the National Assembly building, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife presided over the solemn official welcoming ceremony for the President of Panama and his wife. Immediately after the welcoming ceremony, the two leaders held talks.
During the talks, held in a sincere, open, and mutually trusting atmosphere, General Secretary and President To Lam warmly welcomed Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino's official visit to Vietnam, affirming the significant importance of this first Head of State visit between the two countries in 14 years, following the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025. General Secretary and President To Lam provided information on Vietnam's recent economic, social, and foreign affairs situation and future development orientations; emphasizing that Vietnam always values its traditional friendship with Panama, as well as Panama's strategic role and position in the region and the world. With its dynamic economy and possession of the Panama Canal, a regional hub for maritime, air, logistics, and financial connectivity, Panama can, together with Vietnam, play a crucial role as a trade and logistics gateway between Southeast Asia and Latin America. General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his confidence that the two countries will continue to effectively exploit the potential for cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, maritime affairs, aviation, logistics, and digital transformation , promoting the development of bilateral relations in a direction that is increasingly substantive, effective, and sustainable, for the benefit of the people of both countries, and contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in both regions.
General Secretary and President To Lam and President of Panama José Raúl Mulino held talks. Photo: Thong Nhat/TTXVN
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino expressed gratitude to Vietnam for being the first country to sign the Protocol on the Permanent Neutrality of the Panama Canal (1979), congratulated the State and people of Vietnam on the great achievements made in over 40 years of Doi Moi (Renovation), affirmed that Panama considers Vietnam a top priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region and is ready to act as a gateway to connect Vietnam with the economies of the Latin American region.
The two leaders expressed their pleasure at the positive developments in bilateral relations in recent times, emphasizing that there is still great potential for cooperation and mutual complementarity between the two countries, especially in the areas of economy, trade, and investment. On this occasion, the two sides had an in-depth exchange on strategic directions to further deepen and strengthen bilateral relations.
General Secretary and President To Lam delivers a speech. Photo: Tuan Anh/TTXVN
The two leaders agreed to strengthen exchanges of high-level and other delegations through Party, State, Parliament, and people-to-people channels; enhance diplomatic and consular presence in each country; and regularly and effectively implement bilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, including the Political Consultations and the Joint Committee on Economy, Trade, and Investment. Both sides also expressed their readiness to support each other in strengthening relations with organizations of which each side is a member, particularly ASEAN and CELAC.
Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure, transportation, port logistics, banking, tourism, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. They also agreed to strengthen the exchange of experiences and cooperation in sustainable agricultural development, including opening up markets for agricultural products from both countries to access each other's markets.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation and connectivity between localities of the two countries, including Ho Chi Minh City and Panama City, to exchange experiences and support each other in building a financial center connected with seaports, logistics, and bonded warehouses.
President of the Republic of Panama José Raúl Mulino and members of the Panamanian delegation at talks with General Secretary and President Tô Lâm. Photo: Tuấn Anh/VNA.
The two leaders also shared the need to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and law enforcement, and combating transnational crime, thereby creating a solid foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation and exchanges in many areas.
Regarding multilateral cooperation, both sides agreed to continue coordinating and supporting each other in international organizations and multilateral forums; exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern; uphold the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter; support the maintenance of freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes on the basis of respect for international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
On this occasion, President José Raúl Mulino of Panama respectfully invited General Secretary and President Tô Lâm to make a Head of State visit to Panama, marking a new historical milestone for bilateral relations. The General Secretary and President thanked him and expressed his desire to visit the beautiful country of Panama; he suggested that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries exchange information and arrange a suitable time.
Earlier that day, a high-level delegation from the Government of Panama, led by the President of Panama and his wife, laid wreaths at the Monument to the Martyrs and Heroes and the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh, and met with leaders of Vietnamese businesses in the maritime transport sector.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thuc-day-quan-he-huu-nghi-viet-nam-panama-ngay-cang-thuc-chat-hieu-qua-va-ben-vung-post1391931.html
