Panama is ready to join Mercosur, during the next Summit

The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, confirmed today that everything is ready for Panama to make its expected entry into the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), during the next Summit of this bloc, which will take place in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he hopes to sign the document that will allow the country to be part of this important group in South America.

President Mulino weighed the importance for Panama to enter this “first world” market, which, in addition to the commercial impact, also has effects on international relations and integration.

“Everything is ready, at the next summit in Montevideo it will be a great honor and a tremendous opportunity to sign the document that integrates that first world commercial block within ours,” he said.

At the same time, he thanked countries such as Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay for supporting Panama in its effort to belong to this bloc that will open doors to new markets.

“For Panama it will be a very important step forward in terms of foreign and regional trade; international relations and integration, and will allow us to explore free trade channels with these countries. For now, the important thing is to be, and we will be,” the president reiterated.

Panama hopes to continue broad and open communication with Trump’s government

On the other hand, in the face of questions from the international press, President Mulino said that the Panamanian Government wishes to maintain “broad and open communication” with the newly elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, who assumes the reins of the country in January next year.

“With him (Trump) and his government I want to have a broad and open communication, as has always been with the governments of the United States, which is our main commercial and strategic partner,” said the president, who currently does not plan a meeting with his American counterpart. Meanwhile, he said, Panama will continue to work and strengthen its work on security, migration and the environment, with different United States entities that collaborate with Panama.

Precisely, one of the aspects that Panama seeks to continue addressing with the new Trump government is related to the migration crisis that affects the Central American country and whose destination is the United States.

“I hope to have a clear relationship with the United States, two-way, good with respect to the things that interest us in both countries. But the United States has to be more aware that migration is their problem, not Panama’s, because migrants do not come to stay in Panama. We are going to make a great effort, we are doing it, to reduce it, and when Panama takes a position in the Security Council in January, this issue will be an important flag for the country, since the migration issue is a global problem,” he said.

Panama will reaffirm commitment to freedom of expression

Another announcement by President Mulino is related to the visit, on November 21, of representatives of the Inter-American Press Society (IAPA), in order for Panama to sign the Declaration of Chapultepec and the Declaration of Salta II.

“It will be a great pleasure and honor to receive these important members of the IAPA in the Presidency, and express with my signature Panama’s desire to participate widely in this and be a country where freedom of the press and opinion are respected,” he said.

Gebinete will declare a national emergency due to the damage caused by bad weather

Likewise, the president said that, after the “serious” damage caused by the heavy rains that still continue to fall in several parts of the country, he will ask today that a national emergency be declared, in order to concentrate all the government force that allows him to attend, as soon as possible, to the ravages left by the bad weather that has even claimed several lives.

The president reported that, based on the reports of the emergency authorities and weather monitoring, the climate situation “has worsened,” so the first step will be to issue the respective declaration.

“There is serious damage and we must act at once, damage related to the sinking of the road, which has suffered a hard blow. The declaration of emergency will be limited to where the affected points are or where the crisis is, and will be administered with prudence and transparency so that the country knows what works are going to be done and what contracts are going to be established urgently to solve the situation,” said the head of the Executive, and said that he hopes to have the aforementioned declaration today, so that the ministers, from their areas of management, can do the same.

He also praised and thanked the solidarity of Panamanians in general for the contribution they have made, through the First Lady’s Office, to bring support to those affected by the onslaughts of bad weather.