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, in a sincere, open, and mutually trusting atmosphere, General Secretary and President To Lam warmly welcomed Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero's official visit to Vietnam, affirming the important significance of the first head-of-state visit between the two countries in 14 years, following the two countries' celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025.
General Secretary and President To Lam and President of the Republic of Panama José Raúl Mulino pose for a photo together.
The General Secretary and President provided information on Vietnam's recent economic , social, and foreign affairs situation and its future development orientation; 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 connections, Panama can, along 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 Quintero held talks.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero 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 delivered a speech at the meeting.
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 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 the organizations of which each side is a member, especially 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.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero speaks at the talks.
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 aviation 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 Quintero 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 visit at a suitable time.
General Secretary and President To Lam and President of Panama José Raúl Mulino witnessed the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents between the two countries.
Immediately following the talks, General Secretary and President To Lam and President of Panama José Raúl Mulino witnessed the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents, including: an Agreement on Cooperation in Maritime Transport; an Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Transnational Crime; a Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Cooperation; a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Customs Agencies; a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and the Civil Aviation Authority of Panama ; a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the two Diplomatic Academies; a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Vietnam Maritime University and the International Maritime University of Panama ; and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASS) and the Panamanian Institute for Agricultural Innovation (IDIAP). The two leaders then held a joint meeting with the press from both countries and internationally.
Thu Huyen - Huu Thang
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-nuoc-to-lam-hoi-dam-tong-thong-panama-thuc-day-quan-he-di-vao-chieu-sau-204261006221701154.htm
