With an aim to deepen and broaden economic partnership, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said India looks forward to building 'closer ties' with Panama, describing that country as a strategically located and economically stable partner with significant potential for cooperation. Panama's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha Vasquez, is on an official visit to India from July 19 to 23, during which he is scheduled to participate in a series of engagements.
Jaishankar expressed confidence that the Panamanian foreign minister's visit would 'further strengthen our relationship across all domains.' Describing Panama as a 'natural bridge' for India to global trade routes and the wider Latin American region, he said the country's logistics infrastructure, anchored by the Panama Canal, 'certainly sets a global benchmark.'
The External Affairs Minister said Vasquez's visit builds on the 'strong momentum of high-level exchanges that we have had.' He added 'I believe that both our governments and our leaders are very keen on deepening and broadening our partnership. We certainly look forward to closer ties with Panama because you offer both a strategic location as well as enormous economic stability and potential for a partner like India.'
Jaishankar said India values Panama's interest in expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including education, scholarships, pharmaceuticals, technology, and, most importantly, trade. Highlighting Panama's economic performance, he said 'We note that you have had a consistently high growth trajectory. As we ourselves accelerate development towards the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047, we believe our bilateral relationship will become even more important.'
