The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, arrived in Italy as part of an official tour that includes meetings with key leaders and an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

During his meeting with the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, the Panamanian president will address issues of bilateral cooperation, seeking to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two nations. In addition, it will reiterate the request to remove Panama from the European Union’s tax list, stressing that the country is not a tax haven.

Mulino, accompanied by his wife Maricel Cohen de Mulino, was received upon his arrival by the plenipotentiary minister Cristiano Gallo, representing the Italian government, and by Monsignor Javier Domingo Fernández, envoy of Pope Francis.

The presidential agenda also includes, tomorrow Friday, meetings with representatives of leading Italian companies, such as the International Industry Group, specialized in the aerospace, defense and security sector, and Telecom Italia Sparkle, dedicated to telecommunications and fiber optics.

On Saturday, January 25, the president will be received by Pope Francis in an official audience at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, a prominent event of his tour in Europe.