The Republic of Panama reinforces its role as Hub of Hubs, this time as a hub of International Cooperation, Triangular Cooperation and South-South Cooperation.
In the Ricardo J. Amphitheatre. Alfaro of the Foreign Ministry, the event called: “Presentation of Good Practices of the Joint Fund for Cooperation Uruguay – Mexico” was held, an activity in which representatives of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean learned first-hand achievements and emblematic success stories of international cooperation in the last 15 years. The event also made it possible to articulate efforts to generate new and greater collaborations with governments of other countries or international organizations.
In the opening remarks, issued by the Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs and International Cooperation, Yill del Carmen Otero, expressed his pleasure in receiving both delegations that chose Panama as a meeting point to hold the forum for the presentation of good practices. He considered that this fund is a robust system of cooperation in the face of the changes that arise and represents regional and international solidarity, with programs that promote economic, social and sustainable development between countries.
Subsequently, he stressed that, so far, this fund executed 5 calls, with a total of 51 projects executed between 2012 and 2023. He also referred to the presentation, in March, of the second version of the South-South and Triangular cooperation catalog of the Republic of Panama, which makes visible the cooperation activities that have among their purposes to join the technical capacities of other countries.
For her part, the executive director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid), Gloria Sandoval, said that with the aim of implementing international cooperation action for development, Mexico and Uruguay contribute on an equal and annual basis to the fund, a valuable tool for the implementation of joint projects and in triangular cooperation, as well as in emergency situations.
“The projects have been implemented in the areas of social development, health, science, technology and innovation, governance, institutional strengthening, public policy management, and environment,” added executive director Sandoval.
Likewise, the executive director of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI), Mariano Berro, thanked the government of Panama and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their cordiality and the affection of always; emphasizing that the representatives of the projects are the essence and the proof that this joint fund has results that are available and in sight.
“I believe that it is vital to focus on people and that they themselves tell their experiences through projects from different areas, with important contributions to the community and other countries through the development of an interaction with sensitivity,” added the executive director of AUCI.
The ambassador of Uruguay in Panama, H.E., was also present at the ceremony. María Ramona Franco, the ambassador of Mexico to Panama, H.E. Alejandro Bichir, along with representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations.